Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Training is critical to job performance. It is one of those items that is taken into consideration with each new hire. Training is another cost for a new employee. If your company does not calculate this factor, it is still costing them money to train people for positions and functions.

The best way for most of us to learn is to be shown a task and then allowed to perform it until we are comfortable with it. The individual we are training sets such things as the number of repetitions needed, the amount of background knowledge required, and supervisory aspects. No two employees are ever the same, even if they are similar in some characteristics.

Over forty years in business in the office, out in the factory or shop, and everything from a line assembler to the operations manager, I have learned how to train and that many people are not naturally suited to train or be trained.

Three areas need to be looked at to ascertain that a company has adequate training.  Does corporate management provide training guidelines? Do they provide the man (or woman) hours and equipment to allow for excellent education of job functions? Does middle management oversee the process thoroughly? If any of the answers to any of these questions are no, an employee may be lost due to a lack of training.

In some cases, higher-ups assume that the training takes place at the lower levels.  That assumption is often incorrect. Top executives do not train; however, they need to guarantee that each level below them knows their responsibilities for advancement in the job performance of all under their authority. An office manager, branch manager, supervisor or foreperson should be held responsible for all those who are under them. 

Training takes time away from daily responsibilities for both the new employee and the trainer. Other associates need to accept the extra load for those involved in providing proper training. If equipment needs to be used to learn, it should be provided. Often, special training centers can be assembled to give ongoing refresher courses in newly introduced functions. When you want an employee to learn new software, you must give them the time with that program and a trainer to accomplish the task.

Now we are back to the managers and supervisors for the oversight of all functions. A cursory glance at production or other work is not enough to determine if everything is going as planned. Quality inspection of work is required.  Time and money are saved because these tasks are given proper emphasis.

One of the best tools I found at many of the companies I worked with was the procedures manual. This is a book of operations that are required for every employee to accomplish their assigned tasks. I’ve written and used these texts often. They are one more tool for training.

©Copyright 2025 by Charles Kensinger