Alright, so you have a new employee. How do you make sure they get off on the right foot? If you have no set stable place to start, let this become your stable datum:

 T-R-A-I-N-I-N-G.

This is absolutely vital to ensuring the person you hired actually does transition into being a productive employee.   Now you may think this is something that you would do only with someone unfamiliar with an area – not so! This is something you do with the guy off the street, the guy who has been doing this same job for the last 10 years AND the guy who has his 4 year University degree.

The right type of training goes beyond just throwing down an employee manual in front of them and walking away.  While you should not overlook ensuring they do read their manual, there are some even more basic steps.

I do recommend that you document what training was done and when for HR files as well as a point of reference for yourself.

First off, where is their office? Where do they sit? How do they get more supplies? Where are the files they will need? What computer do they use? What is the product they are expected to get? What statistics are they responsible for?

Do not overlook the smallest detail and never, never assume or have the mind set of “well, isn’t it obvious?”

Next train them on their position. Take them through all of their duties, step by step.

Consult their understanding and make sure they never go past a word or symbol they don’t understand (the topic of another blog soon to come).  Once they have this down and the above details down, step back and let them do it! Don’t micro-manage, but do make sure you stay on top of the area until you can see, for yourself that there is a positive response in the areas statistics.

If you are not seeing a positive change in the area in 30 days, personally go back into the area, find what part of the training they didn’t understand or was missed.  Next get them really trained up on that trouble area. Get them really up to speed, being able to that action in their sleep!

Before you think of firing that employee who just doesn’t seem to get it, check yourself. Have YOU given him full and complete training on his area?  Is there documentation that he has been trained? If there is any doubts that this person’s training was done fully or completely, get it handled.   If all looks in order and seems to have been correctly done, then one should consider locating someone else who does have the aptitude to take the data they were taught and apply it.