Business Training or Potty Training?

Darlene Zagata

Often the instructors who are hired to train new employees have no clue where to begin. The new employees are left to be reprimanded for the inadequacy of the instructor.
There are several businesses that hire training instructors to conduct classes for newly hired employees. These classes can last anywhere from a day to several weeks depending upon the job functions and the amount of material to be covered. Trainers are normally required to go over policy and procedures, instruct the employees in their job duties, cover material relevant to their functions, prepare for a final exam and answer any questions that the new hires may have before completion of the training course. Once the training has ended and the employees are sent to their positions, they should be adequately prepared to begin work. But are they? No, in some instances they are not.

I have been through several training programs for various jobs and positions and, from my personal experience, the majority of these training programs are not providing new employees with adequate preparation. I've spoken with several co-workers and supervisors who feel the same way. One experience involved a trainer who spent the majority of class time talking about how much she liked to shop and the various restaurants at which she and her husband frequently dined. At the end of the five-day training course the class knew little more than they did when the class first began. Everyone was unprepared for job duties and, out of the class of twenty people, eleven of them quit the very first day on the job.

Another problem with some instructors is that they tend to treat their class of adults like kindergarten children. I don't see anything wrong with an instructor trying to lighten the mood by making small talk or telling a joke, but some trainers tend to go overboard by having their class wear silly little hats and participate in activities that may make some people feel uncomfortable. Some instructors engage in games that have no relevance to the material and others waste an entire day by having a group gab session. Then there are those instructors who suggest that the individuals in the class get to know their neighbors while they sit at their desk talking on the phone or leave the room for what seems like endless amounts of time. While there is nothing wrong with getting to know one's co-workers, it is a business classroom not Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. By the time the instructor returns and actually begins to instruct, it's time to go and then you're handed a stack of written material and told to take it home and read over it in your spare time.

To pay instructors to sit there and talk about how much they like to shop or to tell the class about their family problems is a complete waste of time for the employees and a waste of company time, money and resources. Many times a class of new employees is sent into the work environment with no clue as to what their duties entail or how to handle a situation when the need arises. This eventually leads to frustration on the part of the employee who may end up feeling inadequate, unprepared and ill equipped. The employee may become so upset that quitting the job altogether seems the only option. Supervisors bear the brunt of responsibility when their superiors demand to know why tasks were left uncompleted or not done at all. They must do extra work in order to compensate for those on their team and may even have to train employees themselves because the training instructors failed in their duty to do so.

I have met some trainers who were excellent, personable instructors who knew how to make people feel comfortable and could facilitate learning in a relaxed, fun manner. I only wish there were more like these special few who are adept in both people and teaching skills. Unfortunately there are those trainers who need to be trained themselves or, perhaps, demoted to a position for which they are better suited.

About the Author

Darlene Zagata is a freelance writer and poet. Her work has appeared in several electronic and print publications. Darlene is the Editor of the Health department at RITRO.com and she co-authors a column with her son at RaisingASon.com. She is also a Review Editor for MyShelf.com and an Editorial Reviewer for The Writer's Room Magazine. Her book of poetry "Aftertaste" is now available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Her first book of fiction, "The Choosing" is currently in the process of publication.