When it comes to training employees, there’s no one way to do it right—but there are a few ways you might be doing it wrong. Using outdated materials or failing to check in enough may not be intentional blunders, but they could prevent your employee from succeeding as quickly as you’d like them to in their role.
However, after years of training new employees, business leaders are bound to have picked up a few lessons along the way. The members of Young Entrepreneur Council are here to share a few of the lessons they’ve learned over their careers about how to train effectively and the advice they would give other business leaders who are training new employees for the first time.
1. Leverage Updated SOPs
Use and refresh your standard operating procedure documents (SOPs). The easiest way to stay consistent with your onboarding and training processes is with thorough documentation that your new hires (and their managers) can follow. This minimizes the risk of deviation from what’s needed for that particular role and allows the new employee to learn at their own pace. Additionally, it provides confirmation and reinforcement in case anyone forgets. – Firas Kittaneh, Amerisleep Mattress
2. Put Yourself In Their Shoes
Think back to your training experiences as a more junior employee in your industry, or even way back to your days working in really thankless jobs in high school or college. You almost certainly had bad training experiences (or just bad managers in general). Get back there, if you can, and learn from your ex-bosses’ mistakes. On a related note, don’t try to hit a home run the first time out. Teaching is a skill that anyone can learn, but it takes time and failure to get it right. – Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
3. Be Patient And Understanding
When it comes to training new employees, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is to be patient and understanding. Every person learns differently and at their own pace, so it’s crucial to tailor your training approach to their individual needs. I would recommend breaking down the training into manageable chunks and providing hands-on experience whenever possible. This helps the employee to better understand the material and feel more comfortable in their new role. – Rachel Beider, PRESS Modern Massage
4. Pair The New Hire With An Experienced Employee
In the hustle and bustle of running a business, it’s easy for managers and owners to assume that new employees have caught on to processes and operations faster than they really have. You explain it once, maybe twice, and then get back to business—but a lot of information has fallen through the cracks. This can lead to frustration on your part and other team members’ when the new employee makes mistakes you thought were covered. It also leads to frustration for the new employee who is genuinely trying to do their best but wasn’t given enough information and tools at the start. The best way around this is to pair them with a more experienced team member whom they can watch and ask questions. Give them the tools, resources and the time it takes to be productive and a valuable member of the team. – Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker
5. Create A Clear, Concise Outline Of Tasks
Being extremely meticulous in outlining what tasks they’re going to be delegated before they’ve started not only helps the new hire, but it also helps other team members understand what role they’re going to be fulfilling in a clearer capacity. Level-setting coupled with transparency is also very important in building a clear communication channel with the employee. – Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC
6. Give Them The Context Behind Their Work
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned when it comes to training new employees is to make sure that they understand not just what to do but why it is important. For this purpose, you need to give them context and explain the company’s values and how their role fits into the company’s overall mission. Moreover, you must be supportive and patient and make sure they understand how every task in their job contributes to the success of the entire business. Remember that investing in your employees’ success will surely pay off with a team that is motivated and committed to ensuring the success of your business. – Kelly Richardson, Infobrandz
7. Utilize Training For Relationship-Building Too
After years of training new employees, one lesson I have learned about how to do it right is that you need to utilize this time not only to train them but also to build a relationship of trust and mutual understanding. Create an environment for them in which they can come to you with their thoughts, queries and doubts without fear of being judged or criticized. Offer them the resources to learn and grow and set realistic goals. This will help them grow into a solid team member in the long run. – Josh Kohlbach, Wholesale Suite
8. Communicate (Even If You Think It’s Too Much)
One lesson I’ve learned over the years is that you can never communicate too much when onboarding a new team member. So, when training an employee for the first time, my advice would be to prioritize clear communication, be patient and give frequent feedback. Start by setting clear expectations and goals for the new employee, and provide them with the necessary resources and training to achieve those goals. Throughout the training process, be supportive and provide constructive feedback to help them learn and improve. Also encourage them to ask questions. The more questions they ask, the faster they will pick up all the internal processes. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS
9. Remember To Be Human
You can talk all you want about expectations and road maps, but really, you just need to be nice. Be human and not give automated responses. Sure, you should have a checklist of things to go over and hit, but don’t be robotic about the training. Have fun with the training. Get to know the person you are going to be spending 30 to 40 hours a week with. See if you think they will be a good fit for your company long term. What do they like to do? Can they adapt? Do they have career goals? Overall, a road map and expectations are helpful, but be nice and have fun with the training. – Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design
