We’ve seen it happen numerous times, in fact, we’ve probably experienced it ourselves, the dreaded ‘Baptism by Fire’ hiring affair. But, is it necessary? Do employers really need to only resort to limited and often ineffective training during the onboarding process?
Here at the Jamail Development Group, we like to think outside the box, so our short answer is a firm, NO! In this week’s blog, we’ll explore training versus teaching new employees. We’ll also delve into a workable solution that will benefit employers and employees, alike.
A Limited Outlook
For years organizations have struggled with onboarding fresh hires. Often times, new employees are greeted on the first day with any of the following traumas, ‘diving into the deep end’ of a job, ‘job shadowing ‘or even worse, ‘learning by osmosis’.
Let’s be honest, thinking back to your own first day(s) on the job, did you truly enjoy the disconnect, intimidation and confusion that often accompanies this experience? I’m sure, like us, the answer is no.
The root of this issue is created by a lack of priority and commitment. Most leaders feel they don’t have the resources or the time, to properly onboard new employees. But, truly this is where I am gonna call you out,
the buck stops with you.
The excuse of a busy schedule is invalid because it speaks to a serious misalignment of your priorities. What’s more, as a leader it is your responsibility to find a more effective way to absorb new team members into the team. Yes, they are hired to do the job, but as we’ve discussed on this blog, creating a winning team culture is the real key to fortify business performance.
What ‘Waze’ Didn’t Work
At our company, we’ve coined a term, the Waze Syndrome. This disaster happens when a leader attempts to help a new employee by creating a loser-takes-all situation. The staff member will be given a problem to solve or a task to complete that they otherwise could not perform on their own.
Their only caveat? Only come to them if they are unable to figure out how to execute the activity. Now, the inevitable can only happen- the new employee will get stuck and run back to the leader so they can solve the issue.
Not only does this establish an untenable dependency situation, but the employer also loses the opportunity to empower the new hire through direct learning. Furthermore, this is a recipe that encourages poor productivity on both ends. One, the leader is guaranteed to find himself taking on tasks that were already hired out for someone else to perform. Two, the employee loses out on building essential developmental skills.
Here is where I add a pertinent adage,
“If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”
Story Time…
Let’s use my experience with Waze, the navigation software app, as another real life example of teaching vs poor training.
I confess, since I have been using the app, I’ve noticed that I’ve lost the ability to retain directions because I’m too busy relying on Waze to get me where I need to go. In the past, someone would walk me through the directions for their house by engaging my memory and problem-solving skills to find the way. After absorbing those directions, I’d naturally learn route in one go, no problem.
But now that I have Waze, I’ve recognized that it takes at least three or four attempts for me to master a new route. Why? I’m not actively learning and problem-solving along my journey. This has even been supported by science. According to satellite expert, Roger McKinlay, GPS can erode our ability to navigate for ourselves. If you reflect for moment, I’m sure you will find yourself in the same boat too.
The concept of using Waze to get to a location is equitable to a leader teaching an employee a task versus training the employee on their job.
The Golden Way
Most leaders want greater commitment from their team towards the job and the organization. I’m certain, you want your employee to see their role as more than just a job. This critical first step, taking the time to teach versus applying blanket training, can establish this dedication by personalizing the situation. It also empowers the employee and invests directly in their personal development.
I cannot reiterate this enough, the buck stops with you. As leaders, when we commit the time and effort to help onboard and teach employees, we demonstrate our own loyalty to the organization and the team.
You must be willing to lead by example. You have to commit to your employees on day one, so they will, in turn, be committed to you.
Reach out to us, we want to help overall the hiring process and boost employee morale.
