Tips for Remaining Patient when Training a new Starter
When training a new starter at work, it can be very difficult to remain patient, especially when you have your own job to do and the person you are training doesn’t seem to pick up things as quickly as you would like. However, if you are to do your job properly and get the best out of a new employee, it is vital that you don’t show your exasperation. There are a number of ways that you can do this.
Remember how you felt when you started
If you’ve been in the job for some time, you may have already forgotten what it is like to be a newcomer. Cast your mind back before you go any further. On your first few days, you were probably nervous about getting anything wrong, especially because you were bombarded with information. When training a new starter, you need to be very aware of this. You should not expect a newcomer to get things right straight away. After all, everyone learns from their mistakes, so the chances are that if the trainee is making mistakes at first, they will not make them a second time.
Appreciate that some people struggle with instructions
You may be so used to giving and receiving instructions that you have forgotten that others are not always so quick to process information. If you find that your trainee is struggling to understand what is being asked of them, before getting impatient and snappy, make sure that you have phrased the instructions in a clear and straightforward way. In the first few days of a new job, a lot will be asked of a newcomer and, if he or she is nervous, even simple instructions may be difficult to interpret and carry through.
Encourage the new starter tolisten, observe and practice
Throwing a newcomer in at the deep end may seem to be the quickest and easiest way to get him or her started. That may work with some people, but may not be the best idea for someone who is very young and/or nervous. Instead, encouraging them from the outset to listen, observe and then put what they have learned into practice, while asking any necessary questions, may be the best way for them to learn. If you are prepared to take a step back and let them observe to begin with, your patience is much less likely to be tried.
Set achievable goals
You are bound to become impatient if the goals you set are not achievable. On the other hand, you do not want to patronise the trainee by giving them tasks that are too simple. Have a good look at their resume before starting and try to tailor any goals to their background. For example, a university graduate may be quite comfortable drafting a letter to a client, whereas someone who has only just left school at 16 will not find it so easy. Also be prepared to readjust the goals as you go along and give the trainee enough time to complete them.
Ask others for assistance
If you are struggling with the trainee, either because he or she is not performing as well as you would like, or because you simply don’t have the time to concentrate on training someone else, then speak to your immediate supervisor, or ask colleagues for assistance as necessary. Others may be able to give you tips on how to train a new starter without losing your temper. It may be that your supervisor needs to speak to the trainee directly to find out exactly what the problem is. After all, if the trainee is not up to the job, then your superiors will need to decide how to salvage the problem.
Be encouraging
You are likely to get a great deal out of training a newcomer if you can see that he or she is performing to the best of his or her ability. For that to happen, you need to be encouraging in your own manner. Think before you speak, even if you are frustrated with the lack of progress, and learn to lower your expectations if necessary. You will get a great deal more out of your trainee if he or she believes that you are trying to help and think that reasonable progress is being made. Both you and the trainee will walk away feeling much less stressed.
Not everyone is a born teacher, but if you do your best to remain patient when dealing with new starters at work, you will get the best out of them, as well as retaining your patience.
