| Your new hire employees have to be up and running | | | | employees who have a natural ability to coach and |
| fast. Should you use on-the-job-training? Online | | | | mentor new people. This also means that you should |
| courses? Classroom? You can bring them up to | | | | develop a formal program. For example, once a new |
| speed quickly with a new hire training program that | | | | hire leaves formal training, the mentor should know |
| combines all three. Here's how. | | | | what was and wasn't covered. You should also |
| Many organizations choose to train new hires strictly | | | | create a checklist of tasks or observations that the |
| on-the-job (OTJ). This can be a good practice if the | | | | mentor must go through with the new hire - and a |
| line employees have the time to bring a new hire up to | | | | designated time frame to do so. On the mentor side, |
| speed - but how many of us can be assured that this | | | | outline the behaviors and expectations of the mentor. |
| is the case 100% of the time? But by using a formal | | | | With a mentor program in place, you're able to provide |
| new hire training program you can ramp up the new | | | | the continuation of new hire training on the job. |
| hire force much quicker than on-the-job-training. | | | | The expectations of your formal new hire training |
| Implementing a formal new hire training program | | | | program are very important to know and to |
| doesn't have to mean the end of on-the-job training. In | | | | communicate to supervisors and managers. First, |
| fact, a combination of OTJ, online learning, and | | | | you're sending a new hire out to the field with a base |
| classroom instruction can create a strong new hire | | | | of knowledge. Managers and supervisors need to |
| program. For example, if your formal new hire program | | | | understand that the new hire is probably not going to |
| is three weeks long, deliver week one and then send | | | | be the next superstar right away. Second, managers |
| the new hires to the job for a few days to observe | | | | and supervisors need to understand what the new |
| what they've just learned in action. Then bring them | | | | hire's limits are. What tasks should they be able to |
| back to continue formal training. For this plan to work | | | | complete with no help? What parts of their job should |
| effectively, you must have a structured observation in | | | | be done with some assistance from a mentor? |
| place - and a rule that new hires will not be forced to | | | | When your new hire program is in place, you'll be |
| go to full time work just because they showed up to | | | | certain that new employees are getting a base of |
| the job. You can also accomplish this is by offering | | | | knowledge that's consistent with management's |
| e-learning or online modules while the trainees are | | | | expectations. Each new hire will start on day one with |
| doing their observations. This way, trainees can | | | | the same base of knowledge as the next new hire. |
| observe "real life", work on some online courses, and | | | | But they'll start on the job with much greater |
| then return to the classroom. This combination gives | | | | knowledge than if they were starting blind with only |
| your new hire a well-rounded look at the job and the | | | | on-the-job training to support them. The ramp up to full |
| knowledge necessary to carry it out. | | | | function will be much quicker - and you'll have the ability |
| Another way you can prepare new hires quickly, in | | | | to start looking for successors for advanced positions. |
| addition to formal training, is by creating a mentor | | | | There's an investment of time and money in the |
| program. This doesn't mean simply assigning mentors | | | | development and delivery of a new hire training |
| on the job because they've been around for a | | | | program, but you'll find that the investment is well worth |
| hundred years - it means that you must look for field | | | | it. |