Importance of Training

An Organization's recruitment activity does not end with bringing people on board, as is sadly conceived by many. By carefully sifting through a multitude of resumes and after detailed interactions and filtering, you have only identified the candidates whom you consider could fill the needs of the organization. It is just like carefully selecting a seed and a seed does not grow automatically. You need to choose the right location to sow the seeds in such a way that it is neither too exposed to the sunlight nor completely deprived of the same. Then , periodically water it, apply manures, protect it from pests and after such close monitoring and nurturing, some of the seeds start bearing fruits and some keep on persisting with fruits, every year season after season.

Selected personnel of an organization also has to go through all these phases to become a productive arm of the Org. In modern days, which are more driven by business critical requests, many organizations choose to focus on selection but fail to persist with the same focus of nurturing and developing them, which is also one of the main causes for the attrition.

The training that is being given to the selected staff is as important as the recruitment. In case of freshers, the current college education clearly falling short of relevant working knowledge is by no means preparing the students to take on the expectations of a customer, while the laterals come with different cultures already imbibed into them through their associations with various organizations. It is for you to educate them on what the policy of your concern is, what other popular misnomer are not valid in your own organization etc.,

It is akin to hand holding a girl walking into a household as a daughter in law, where you clarify and explain the culture and expectations of your own house!

This part of Induction training is normally given a Go-by or is given in such urgency that the candidate is all at sea, when the training concludes. In an organization I joined some years back, I was straight posted to the Personnel Administration Dept and attended the induction training after 18 months, by which time I seemed to know more about the Org than the rookie trainer, who had joined recently. Private sectors are more methodical in that they insist on an induction but at times compromise on the duration based on client commitments.

But , the induction I am discussing is not on the basics of technical or domain but about the organization and its culture! I had a very good experience in one of the Companies, where they had a separate one day programme called KYO - Know Your Organization. This day long meet, consisting of many one hour sessions will be addressed by all key operative stakeholders, whom you are likely to interact with during the discharge of your official duties. This includes the Chairman and representatives of key Depts such as HR, Finance, Admin, Technology, Support, Security and each will be explaining the salient activities of their area through a simple presentation and also share the key contact points. This gives the new entrant a warm hand shake idea of the persons and he/she will not hesitate to contact the presentation for SPOC, in case of need.

Most important of these sessions is the PR exercise that one shall be explained about. Over the past few months, I had occasion to visit some Banks, privately run nursing homes and private organizations. Almost at all these places , I was pained to see staff shouting issues, discussing internal matters in front of the waiting customers and at times blaming the organization's shortcomings thereby taking undue advantage too. Some of the common excuses given which could have been avoided are:

·          I am no more attached to that seat

·          Printer is not working. Come some other day

·          Some staff on leave. Come next week.

·          Manager has to sign this and he is not available- come some other day

·          Your papers are locked in his table draw and that officer is on leave. Come later

In addition, some of their genuine concerns, though they are not of any concern to the customers are also shared. "Eg., It's already 10th and the salary is yet to be credited what more can I do".

If you carefully analyze, most of the excuses tendered are company oriented, for which the customers need not be penalized or exposed to. Like in Airlines, staff must be properly trained and advised not to get personal or emotional over issues and in case of insurmountable situations to refer to the superiors than inflicting further damage to the organization.

Courtesy and service are not only expected at root level, but at all levels. A simple communication from the customer, if not properly acknowledged and updated with the progress of its follow-up, could be construed as an indifference and slight by the company!

It is the management which has to take the cross for these woes and neither the staff, who are ill trained and ill supported, nor the customers who have reposed confidence in you to transact business through you are responsible for such a poor display!

When a friend of mine was asked to handle the dispatch section, he protested saying it was too low a position for his service . The Manager took pains to explain that it is one section through which one could observe and track all exchange and interactions of the Bank with the outside world. Similarly, a Cashier was convinced that despite many departments in a Bank, his is the last point at which a customer is disposed off and he is the Real Face of the bank. If the cashier is good , the customer is happy but if he is otherwise, the customer is not only dissatisfied but also spreads the news, which is more detrimental to the business and reputation of the organization.

So, it is the person who faces the customer is the Face of the Company and he / she needs to be trained for better customer satisfaction.