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Retraining Employees

When filling positions that require skills that current employees don’t have, it’s always tempting for a small business to look toward new hires. There are decided advantages, however, to training and promoting from within.

by Jeffrey Moses NFIB.com

First, promoting from within can engender greater overall employee loyalty. When your employees know that you stand behind them, they’ll likely go the extra mile for you. Second, existing employees already are familiar with the company culture — they have ongoing relationships within the company and can draw upon these as resources in their new position. Third, existing employees have already established living situations based on proximity to work, so they don’t have to relocate.

To effectively train and promote existing employees, follow these steps:

Review skills and education histories — along with direct experience both within the company and prior to hiring — of all employees to determine which individuals are most ready for promotion to the required positions. This process is key because when selecting the employees who are truly the most qualified, internal resentments can be minimized or eliminated. Do not leave any qualified employees out of the consideration process.

Meet with the selected employees to discuss interest in training and promotion. During the conversation, new salary, title, responsibilities and career advancement potential should be thoroughly discussed.

When employees are selected for training, announce the selections and the reasons for the selections in a companywide meeting or memo. Don’t let other employees hear about the selections through the grapevine.

Train your employees by sending them to appropriate educational programs outside the company, by bringing in qualified trainers or by designating qualified employees to conduct the training. When using employees to train, don’t overlook the extra demands on their time. Overtime pay may be in order, especially if they are required to maintain existing production schedules.

Employee re-assignment or re-scheduling is hardly ever isolated. When one employee spends time in training, other employees usually need to take up the slack. Before starting to train one or more employees, coordinate with managers and other workers to be sure that work schedules and responsibilities are adjusted accordingly.

The ideal scenario for in-house training is when an employee can be trained directly by the individual being replaced. This training may require weeks or months, however, and usually can’t be completed when a departing employee gives the standard two-week notice. Managers and company owners need to be watchful well in advance of an employee leaving so that in-house or contract training can be accomplished in a timely way.

Employees who are undergoing training may be in a confusing situation until their new positions are assumed. On one hand, they will still have ongoing responsibilities. On the other, they will be spending time away from their normal work, undergoing studies or hands-on experience that will give them new, more valuable skills. It’s wise for managers to keep this in mind, and occasionally meet with trainees to make sure that their transition is smooth.

After training is complete and employees assume their new positions, it’s vital to monitor progress for a number of weeks or months. Make sure that other employees aren’t resentful that they’re now taking orders from someone who was recently at their same level of authority. And make sure that the employees who are in a new position are comfortable with their new level of responsibility.

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