16 May From Rookie to Asset: Tips for Training New Employees May 16, 2023 By sma Business Tips, Franchise business growth, client satisfaction, inspection indsutry, motivation, training 0 FROM ROOKIE TO ASSET: TIPS FOR TRAINING NEW EMPLOYEES May 16, 2023 | Business Tips, Franchise | training, client satisfaction, inspection industry, business growth, motivation By Stepha Vesper, NPI, Inc.'s Senior Communications Strategist In the home inspection industry, it should be every business owner’s goal to expand their team. New employees can expand marketing efforts, allow for more property inspections to be completed in a shorter amount of time, and improve on client satisfaction due to increased efficiency. Both in the case of adding a very first employee and when adding to an already large team, owners cannot overlook their training processes. To build your home inspection team the right way, let’s discuss the importance of training, and review a few tips on how to help transition your new employee into an invaluable contributor to your team. Highlighting the Importance of Training All business owners understand to a certain extent the value of a solid training process. New employees are an investment, and the quicker that these team members can get up to speed with the rest of the business the better. Business owners are incentivized to make their training processes as quick and efficient as possible in order to get their new partners contributing. Though these goals are understandable, business owners who are only focused on the speed of their training schedules are missing out on plenty of opportunities to strengthen their business. Human resources experts over at Hppy point out the importance of the early onboarding period of employment by saying, “...20% of employee turnovers happen [within] the first 45 days.” With smart training techniques, employers can actually reinforce their new employees’ choices to join their team and work towards improving the longevity of their partnership. Additionally, establishing a strong foundation during training is crucial for building a confident and competent employee. Best Techniques to Get the Most Out of Your Training Process Standardize Your Training Method In the home inspection industry, the majority of employees fall under the camp of either inspector, or marketer (though those roles can frequently blur together). Regardless of the role, business owners should strive to develop a standardized training process so that every inspector and marketer develops a consistent style that is true to the business’ desired brand. Clients and agents prefer to be surprised as little as possible during an inspection, and it is important to keep in mind that the owner’s job is to ensure their clients’ experiences always meet the expected high standard. When developing a custom, standardized training process, business owners can start by outlining the specific skills that they want each position to develop, then select a preferred assessment process that remains consistent between employees. Whether this results in something as formal as a written test where new employees can demonstrate their gained knowledge or a more informal checklist of demonstrated skills within a set period of time, the important piece is that business owners are satisfied with their employees’ skill development speed and overall quality. NPI franchisees should contact the NPI marketing team if they would like help developing personalized training materials for their employees! Incorporate Other Team Members Integrating a new employee into an existing team’s culture can sometimes be difficult. New team members are usually at a considerable disadvantage socially, due to their lack of familiarity with the rest of the team. However, business owners who delegate parts of training to their existing employees can considerably accelerate this natural social learning curve. In addition to an expedited feeling of camaraderie within the team, owners can show their existing employees that they value their expertise and trust their level of knowledge as they share training responsibilities. Of course, stepping back from certain parts can be difficult for owners that want to personally guarantee the quality of their new employee’s training. Owners that trust the foundation of their previous training processes should be able to trust their current employees to take on these types of responsibilities as well. Outline Clear Goals A piece of ongoing training that is sometimes ignored is when owners and employees clearly select goals for improvement. Employees that feel challenged are better motivated, and are likely to become more ambitious. Businesses that promote continued growth among their team members should expect a higher level of commitment from their team, especially when those team members participate in selecting those goals. For more information on how to use training plans to set employees up for long-term success, check out our Entrepreneurship 101. Gather Feedback Finally, business owners should always seek feedback once initial training is complete. Ask questions with the intent to improve upon training processes for future employees by asking about the pace of training, the value and time spent on each topic, and the facets of the job that would have benefited from further exploration. Clear communication and trust is the foundation of any employee-employer relationship. By showing a willingness to implement feedback into the company’s policies and procedures will ultimately promote a strong company culture, destined for success. New inspectors that have joined your team can benefit from attending training at NPI’s corporate office in Omaha, and marketing employees can meet for a private meeting with our marketing team. To learn more about how you can benefit from franchising with National Property Inspections, request a free info packet and schedule a call with our recruitment team today! About the Author Stepha Vesper, Senior Communications Strategist Stepha has more than five years’ experience in marketing, content creation, SEO and copywriting. Her favorite part of her job is assisting franchisees with their digital marketing strategies so they reach their goals that much faster. When she isn’t at work, Stepha is going on adventures with her husband, Zach, perusing used bookstores, reading or writing. Comments are closed.