Despite the pressure on hiring and getting new talent going fast, it’s best not to skimp on time and effort when it comes to onboarding and training. Indeed, careful attention to new employees is a key ingredient to running a sustainable and successful construction business.
Maximizing Potential
At For Construction Pros, Shauna Huntington reminds us: “Great people can only do so much on their own. Without the right processes and systems in place, including adequate knowledge of those processes and systems, your team will not reach their full potential.” Indeed, as important as it is to have robust, well thought out and consistently implemented recruiting and hiring processes, so too is adopting a best in class approach to ensuring employees want to continue working for you: now more than ever, retaining skilled workers is a “cornerstone” of running a successful business.
Even if new hires are eager to get going and show what they’ve got, it’s best to stick to a formalized training program which incorporates these four elements:
- Training Point of Contact – Have someone responsible for overseeing the training of each new hire….This person should be responsible for developing the training plan, coordinating the schedule…and checking in….
- Consistent Schedule – …Ensure that all new hires…are trained in the same manner. Set out a Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3 schedule…..No matter the complexities in your business, take time to develop a well-thought-out plan for showing your new hires the ropes.
- Systematize – If you need to train every new hire on your project management software, create a video….This will ensure that every employee is trained on the same content and in the same manner….Systematizing…saves time, creates consistency, and provides ongoing support.
- Provide Refreshers –…When new team members are being trained, they don’t have the background…to fully grasp every aspect of what they are learning. Providing a refresher training regularly can help team members to apply the knowledge they’ve learned….
Keep in mind that a solid training program is staged, allowing first for a general overview of systems and tools, and subsequently, once there is some familiarity with operations, a deeper dive. Additional suggestions to keep in mind as you systematize training for your business are:
- Make sure your training program includes a general overview of the business, your history, why you exist, and where you’re heading.
- Create a training vault or repository to store your training videos, schedules, handouts, and templates.
- Review your training program annually to update as your business evolves and systems change.
- Don’t skimp on your training program. Inadequate training can lead to less productivity, disgruntled customers, and employee turnover. The investment on the front-end is worth the long-term benefit.
Wise business leaders know a solid onboarding process is well worth the investment: “Employees who had effective onboarding feel up to 18x more commitment to their workplace, compared to employees who feel their onboarding was less effective.This heightened commitment translates into all kinds of benefits for employers, including longer employee tenures….” A specific technique that can be powerful during onboarding and beyond is assigning a mentor for new hires. In addition to giving a long-time employee a vested interest in the success of a new hire, you’ll be ensuring the new employee feels welcomed from day one. Teaming diverse workers who have different experiences, sometimes referred to as reciprocal mentoring, is another proven way to contribute to both jobsite success and worker satisfaction.
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