Why New Employee Training Plan is Important

by Debra Mascott, Director of eLearning Curriculum, Research Rockstar, LLC

My niece started her freshman year at a small private college in the south. Her excitement for all the activities held for the freshman class sounded fun and engaging. Incoming freshman were treated to a picnic, meet-and-greet parties, social media networking via Facebook and Twitter and a skit performed by faculty. Not only did they get a tour of the campus, they also received training on how to use the library many resources.So, why can’t new hires be treated to the same level of excitement and engagement as university freshman? Couldn’t new hires meet upper level management? Couldn’t new hires use social media as a means of communicating with their new colleagues?In the business world, onboarding plans often include human resource policies, safety procedures, financial options, and yes, training.

Market Research Skills Training from Day One

Successful training plans ultimately yield engaged employees. When companies embrace training, the employee gains proficiency which, in turn, improves the company’s bottom line, and enhances client satisfaction and thus results in an engaged and valued employee (see figure below).

WHY EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING MATTERS

Statistics

• 6.2 months is the break-even point for new managers. (Source: Monster.com survey)

• 46 percent of rookies wash out in the first 18 months. (Source: Leadership IQ)

• The cost of losing an employee in the first year is estimated to be at least three times the salary. (Source: https://www.mindflash.com)

• New employees who went through a structured on-boarding program were 58 percent more likely to be with the organization after three years. (Source: https://www.mindflash.com)

At Research Rockstar, we believe training is a key part of new employee onboarding. Training is a great way to get new hires up to speed. In the world of market research, new employee training can be used to:
  • Ensure all team members have a common foundation and common language
  • Reach shared understanding of best practices
  • Provide standards and style guides
  • Identify preferred research methods, sample sources and even suppliers/partners.

Training & Onboarding: Better Together

There used to be an expression about being a new hire; “I’m in the honeymoon phase.” Yet, there are no honeymoons for new hires anymore. Many well-intentioned companies offer onboarding at the start of employment, but it is often abandoned. The demands to jump-start work are invariably present; the market research team has often been waiting weeks for the new hire to start. Indeed, onboarding is often relegated to introducing human resource policies, demonstrating safety procedures or explaining financial retirement packages. Professional skills training is often an after-thought to onboarding. Catching new hires at the beginning of their fresh endeavor is not only wise, but also practical. It sets them up for success, makes them feel valued, and prepares them for further on-the-job training.

The call to action, therefore, is to have training available at the onset of a new hire’s employment. Whether it is a class on factor and cluster analysis, or introduction to questionnaire design, or team building to report writing, skills training is essential to augment a new hire’s skill set. Add a touch of fun and you get an enjoyable and memorable learning experience. The goal is to have the new hire feel connected and valued as a new employee – something I hope my niece experienced in her nascent months at college.

 

Want to include market research training from Research Rockstar in your onboarding plans? Please contact [email protected] for options tailored to your team’s needs.

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3 comments

  1. Thanks for the tips on preparing new hires for their jobs while helping them feel ‘at home’ with their new colleagues.

  2. Great post! I definitely think more companies need to put more effort in the training of new hires. Turnover rates are so high because job tasks are not adequately defined, tools are not given, instructions are weak etc. If you create a good foundation for a new worker, they will definitely grow to be a huge asset for your company.

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