Rock Ledge Resources > Jerry Isensee > Representative Project - New Employee Training

New Employee Training

Business Challenge

A family-owned retail business was hiring new employees, but needed a program that would ensure all employees received consistent training across all functions.

Solution

A Rock Ledge Resources Principal was assigned the responsibility to develop a program that would train all current and new employees. The goal was to improve individual performance and attain a more consistent process in all functions of the business. The training was divided into three areas: 1) General training, which would deal with procedures and guidelines that parallel the policy book as well as business operating procedures; 2) Operational training, which would address the standard check-out procedures and day-to-day operations, including what was expected of the employee each day, and; 3) Specific training for employees in the departments where they worked, along with the performance expectations for that department. The general training was handled by the human resources director, the operational was handled by the manager of that area and specific training by a department head or assigned individual. A mentor program was also established, giving new employees a peer they could ask questions of and solicit help from on problems they had encountered. A check sheet tracked training in a given area, and employees were required to demonstrate proficiency in their specific areas.

Results

The program rapidly improved the quality of training. Employees learned to handle procedures the same way, eliminating problems that had occurred when individual methods were developed. The time to "on board" the employee was reduced, with new employees becoming functional within a short period of time. The owners were pleased and the over all customer experience improved because of the increased consistency of the procedures.

Relationships: Jerry Isensee | Employee-Focused | Retail