Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/184881
Training ("Dare to Prepare" continued from page 32) one-on-one training one day each week from a senior partner in a national consulting firm for about three months. I know it is unusual, but I am intending to point out what my employer did to ready me for the work at hand. Within three months, I attended a one-week product training school at the manufacturer. Within six months I had an additional two weeks with two senior managers with the manufacturer, who were subjectmatter experts. I took night classes at university to fill gaps in my knowledge for the work involved and followed several selfstudy programs. I was very fortunate to have had an enlightened employer and this continued throughout my time with them. I am very grateful to this day. How do you rate on training and developing your personnel for their work? Do you have a specific skill-set definition for each job function? Do you have a learning program for each employee? Do you have regular and scheduled discussions with each employee on the level of competence that they have with their jobs? Do you prepare each employee for the next step in his/her career? Does each employee have a career path? Do you have an education reimbursement program? Peter Drucker, one of the world's foremost thinkers on business and management, posited that one of the strongest business opportunity and growth areas in the 21st century was going to be adult re-education. I don't think he contemplated that there would be a business opportunity to supplement the public high school education system, as seems now to be necessary. But he clearly suggested that business was going to have to get involved with the education systems to get the skills and knowledge they need from educational institutions. Back to Basics So what do our employees have to know? Obvious things come to mind. It sounds elementary, but they must be able to read. Twenty years ago, when setting up a technical training system with the Community Colleges in California, we had to add a remedial reading program because the candidates were not able to read and comprehend the front page of a newspaper after graduating from high school. The same was true for basic arithmetic functions. Can all of your employees read and perform basic mathematics? I am sure you think the answer is yes, and I truly hope that this is true. Think back to the story of Dexter Manley, professional football player for the Washington Redskins, who after graduating from college, was not able to read. We need to have a starting point; a list of basic skills that everyone has in the company. Just imagine how demotivating and discouraging it would be if you didn't understand the work at hand and were afraid to say so. Then, we need to develop skills to improve the productivity of each employee. This is a combination of training programs, mentorships, individual responsibility and initiative, and self-study programs. In the Service Department, we should have a set of mechanical skills for each technician, as well as the degree of difficulty and skills required for each job. With service it is a little more straightforward in that the manufacturers provide a "road map" of training required. They make the job convenient and easy for the dealer to be able to have each employee trained and able to perform their jobs as required. We don't have anything similar for the office functions, or in-store selling, warehousing functions, or outside sales positions. There are companies serving the industry, such as Caliper, that have offered testing and interviewing services for years to determine how well an individual fits the requirements for the job. They are able to point out shortfalls in the skills to help dealers make good hiring decisions. This service should be used for the incumbents on the job, as well as new hires. We need to keep growing our skills and abilities in order to continue contributing to the growth and effectiveness of the business to satisfy customers. Don't forget, there are also specific skills required by our manufacturers, such as warranty filings and protocols. Also, there are specific trainable skills on the use of manufacturer supplied software and systems; purchasing, emergency orders, returns, electronic catalogues and the like. There is a lot to consider. Who is charged with the responsibility for developing and maintaining this material in your company? Human Resources is an important function in the dealership, handling job descriptions, performance standards, job prerequisites, performance reviews, personality profiles and the like, all required in the world in which we work today. There is also a level of government reporting and compliance issues to which we must pay attention. Room for Improvement Let's consider some specific areas in the dealership where training can improve processes and overall outcomes for employees and customers. In the warehouse, we need to have knowledge of warehousing systems, picking and packing and shipping tools in order to operate effectively. In the early 1970s the dealership that I was working at operated at a rate of about 15 part numbers picked per employee per hour. With different facility layouts and systems we were able to take that rate to over 90 part numbers picked per employee per hour. That is a very significant increase in productivity that was achieved from training, as well as system requirements developed by knowledgeable people. Do your warehouse employees know how to place parts? It is not just a case of looking for an empty 34 | www.cedmag.com | Construction Equipment Distribution | October 2013 32_Slee_Feature_KP.indd 34 9/26/13 3:27 PM