New Hire Assimilation and Training- Creating a Training Curriculum

Now that you have your peer trainer(s) in place, you need to ensure that there is a defined process and plan in place for when, where, and how the training will occur. If at all possible, you should have your trainer(s) assist you with the development of a training plan. Although many supervisors/managers are knowledgeable about the tasks and activities done in their departments, your trainer(s) should be knowledgeable of the specific details required of each task.

You will want to get yourself in the mindset that you are going to be managing a fairly substantial project. You will most likely need to schedule frequent meetings and status checks to ensure the project stays on track. This whole process will likely require a significant amount of your time and involvement to ensure a proper outcome, but in the end, you will have a solid training plan that can be used time and time again with your new hires.

PREPARING THE ASSIMILATION PORTION OF THE TRAINING PLAN
One mistake that is commonly made when training new hires is cramming too much functional information at them before they have any real understanding of the bigger picture. So before getting into the details of the processes and procedures that new hire needs to be trained on, you need to take a giant step back and review how you plan to assimilate the employee into your department. To do this, you need to start from the point when the employee first arrives in the workplace. Document when and how you will facilitate the following:

• Is there a formal orientation? If so, do you have any involvement in the process? If you are invited to join in on any part of orientation, make sure you do so. It is a great way to start building your relationship with the new employee. It also helps them see you as a leader in the work setting.

• If there is a formal orientation, do you have any involvement in getting the employee to the orientation or meeting them right after it is completed? I have seen many new employees walking around aimlessly after orientation because no one bothers to give them good instructions on what to do or where to go. Meeting your new hire right after orientation and walking them to the work area can make a positive impact.

• What will you do with the employee once they get to your department? This is the time where you need to be on your ‘A’ game. Preferably, you will want to have an hour or so set aside to facilitate the following:

• Formally welcome the employee to the team
• Share positive information about the company
• Discuss any company mission statements or value statements that exist
• Review the company or division’s organizational chart
• Discuss any internal customers supported by the department
• Discuss any external customers supported by the department
• Discuss how the work that is done in the department supports the overall product or service provided by the company
• Review the employees work schedule
• Review the attendance policy
• Discuss how new employees earn vacation and personal time
• Discuss how the associate reports regular time, personal time, vacation time, holiday pay, etc
• Review upcoming holidays and pay guidelines for new hires
• Discuss how the employee is to request time off
• Review the procedure for calling in sick or for a personal day
• Discuss telephone etiquette- any specific requirements for voicemail, etc
• Review any parking guidelines that may exist
• Review smoking guidelines as well as approved smoking areas if needed

In order to break up the day, it is time to go for a walk with your new employee while you facilitate the following:

• Introduce the employee to their coworkers
• Take the new hire on a thorough tour of the facility. Make sure to include things such as the rest rooms, break room, mail room, other departments they may need to visit, etc.
• Introduce your new hire to employees in other departments who they will interact with as part of their normal course of business
• Introduce the employee to key members of the management team, especially those they may end up interacting with

Next, you should plan to return to your work area and review the following documents with the employee: 

• Job Description
• Performance Review Form
• Important policies to be aware of (attendance, tardiness, breaks, lunches, etc)
• Any individual or department related requirements (claims processed per/hr, etc)
• Any other key information/documentation that will help the new employee to better understand their role in the organization

At this point you should be ready to share the training outline with the new hire and explain how their training will progress. Set the expectation that you want them to take good notes that they can refer to in the future. Also reiterate that although you will be frequently checking in with them, your door is always open and you want their feedback about how their training is progressing. Remind them if they have any issues, problems or questions, they should get with you as soon as possible.

Once this meeting is completed, it is time to introduce your new hire to their trainer.

PREPARING THE FUNCTIONAL TRAINING OUTLINE

The first step in creating the actual functional training plan is to start by making a checklist of the high level responsibilities of the department. Utilizing the job description and performance review document are great resources to ensure you are capturing all of the pertinent information.

Once you have the high level responsibilities documented, you and your trainer(s) can begin to document the minute functional details for each process. Make sure to take your time and capture each and every step in the process. Create the training plan in a logical order, where each part of the process or function builds on the last. If needed, sit next to an employee who is actually doing the process. Have the employee explain the step-by-step processes and take thorough notes throughout the session.

Hands-On Training is Critical

Although it is important to have your new hire watch the trainer and take detailed notes, you will also want to specify in the training plan what type of hands-on training that will take place. Although many people will pick up on the process by listening to the trainer and watching them do the process, most new employees will tell you that the hands-on experience stuck with them a lot more than just observing someone doing the job.

SUMMARY

Although this process will take time to create, it will be well worth it in the end. Providing a structured approach to training and integrating your new hire into their new surroundings will keep them focused and they will not become insecure about their new role or responsibilities.

One other best practice is to continually evaluate the effectiveness of the training process in your department. The best way to do this is by asking your new hires about the quality of the training they experienced. Ask them about what additions/revisions they would suggest to make the training plan more effective. This will allow you to continually fine tune your departments training plan. This will also help your new hires feel as if they are making a contribution to the department.

More tomorrow on preparing the work environment for your new employee.