WTF - May 2000 Meeting

	Washington Trainers' Forum

Updated 7-21-2010	PAST MEETINGS THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2000 LOCATION: Jenkens & Gilchrist 1919 Penn Ave. NW Suite 600 Washington, DC HOST: Rochelle Bungie TOPIC: New Employee Training Programs (Moderated Roundtable) Maybe you'd like to improve your new employee training program or maybe you don't have one at all and would like to hear what other firm's are doing. Here are some important topics to consider. Does your HR department always try to start new employees on Mondays? How much notice do you get of a new employees arrival? How many days/hours do you get to train a new employee? Do you have a training outline to follow or an expectations contract with the HR Department? What knowledge is a new employee expected to gain from training? Does your firm give you enough time to accomplish these goals? How are a new employee's skills monitored after training? Do you conduct post-training meetings with the HR manager and/or the new employee's supervisor? NOTES FROM THE MEETING:
	PROBLEM	BRAINSTORM SOLUTION
	HR doesn't have new employees start on the same day. Sometime a new employee will start each week when it would be more efficient if they started together Not enough notice of new employee arrival	You can let your HR department know this is a problem and ask them to try to start employees in most circumstances this is uncontrollable If possible, have your department managers train new employees on the software or procedures used by that department. Gives variety to the new employee training and take some pressure off of the trainer. Only problem with this could be consistency. Make sure that each manager is consistent on what they teach employees. Make training a part of the employees evaluation. Give them quarterly tests, but come up with a set of required skills for each job function and add those requirements to their job description
	How does HR handle employees that you KNOW will not make it at your firm?	Some trainers conduct informal or formal post-training interviews with HR and/or the employees supervisor. The group decided that it is a good idea to do this in writing. Also talk to HR about informing the employees that they will be evaluated by the trainer. May not be fair if they do not know they are being observed
	Ideas on training existing employees	Personal Training Day: the trainer is available all day for one-on-one training on any subject. Students just stop by anytime during designated hours and ask for training on a topic of their choice. Executives really like this type of training as do the employees with a specific need for a project. Must have Management backing for employees to attend training. Try attending the management meetings or meet with the managing partner. Cross-train employees. Have them teach each other
	Ideas on classroom attendance and no-shows	Offer food Offer a prize for the first person to arrive in class. Send confirmation reminders the day of class. Get staff to pre-approve their training with supervisors. Lock the door after 10 minutes into the class an do not allow any late students to disrupt. Have management send a memo to staff stressing the importance of required classes. You can also have management mention the importance of classes in staff meetings. Some firm's bill no show employee for the instructor's time.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2000