Training Hacks: Materials and Resources Essential for New Hires

After hiring, you’ll want new staff to start training as quickly as possible. This ensures they hit the ground running while avoiding rookie mistakes. In order to make this possible, however, training materials and resources must be ready to go, especially these six items that every new employee should have in hand the minute they walk in the door.

New hire paperwork

It’s a good idea to greet new hires with these materials. And whether you’ll be doing the training yourself, or you have a designated trainer, a senior staff member should sit with the employee while they fill out their new hire paperwork. This allows you to go over the materials with them and it’s the perfect time to set your performance expectations.

After the paperwork has been completed, take your new hire on a tour of your establishment. This helps to familiarize them with the business. During the tour, you can introduce them to other employees and tell them any names or terminology they need to know. It’s also a good time to show them where any safety equipment or materials are located.

A training schedule

Don’t leave new staff in the dark about training ins and outs, especially the timeline. Depending on the size and type of your establishment, training may only last a few shifts, or you may require weeks before you feel a new employee is qualified to work alone. Also, remember, you may need several training schedules based on position, so be sure to plan accordingly!

With this in mind, try to have the entire training schedule planned out. Let them know what days they’ll be working, what area of the business they’ll be learning about each day, and who they’ll be working with.

Having at least one designated trainer for each position is a great way to make sure all employees are trained the same way every time.

Designated trainer(s)

Having at least one designated trainer for each position is a great way to make sure all employees are trained the same way every time. Even better: having a few trainers that can share the load. This also takes some of the pressure off of you, allowing you to continue running your business while your trainer supervises new employees.

If possible, introduce new hires to their trainers immediately. This will allow them to get to know each other and will also ensure that new employees will know who to find when they come in for training shifts.

Printed materials or learning aids

If you have printed materials for your new employee, make sure they’re ready to go right away. If you use an app or website, make sure you make the employee is aware of the site or app and how to use it in conjunction with their training. There’s nothing worse than telling your new hires to read an article or complete online training without providing them with the necessary information to access the content.

Tests are a great way to gauge where trainees are in their learning process.

Tests to verify training/learning

Tests are a great way to gauge where trainees are in their learning process. So, before your new employee is ready to deal with customers on their own, you’ll want to test them to see if they’re grasping the training. These tests can be anything from online quizzes to mock restaurant scenarios. Of course, testing formats and parameters should be discussed with new hires and included on training schedules.

Tests are also a great way to see how the trainer is doing. If you start to notice new employees all seem to make the same mistakes or perform the same tasks incorrectly, sit down with your trainer(s) to make sure they’re teaching the correct habits and skills.

A clean, new uniform and name tag (if required)

Finally, if you require a uniform, make sure you have a fresh one ready on their first day. This goes a long way in making your new recruit feel like they fit in and are a part of the team right away.

If you’ve read our first post on Training Hacks, you’re well aware of how hard it is to find good employees. Make sure you’re not just a stepping stone on their career path. Welcome your new employees warmly and have a comprehensive training program in place so they feel secure in their job choice.

You might also like…