When I compare previous jobs I’ve had and what the legitimacy of the training entailed, I have experienced a huge spectrum. For example, during a construction estimating internship, my onboarding and training actually felt legitimate and useful. I was working directly with the estimating software, taking off quantities, and coding real costs under direct supervision and direction. I got feedback in the moment, and I could immediately see how each step connected to an actual task. According to our lecture, this fits the category of “hands-on” training, which is best for developing real skills and showing how those skills relate directly to the job (Developing Training Programs Lecture 1). It also relates to the UPS article, “The Making of a UPS Driver” (Hira, 2007) where we saw the same thing with Gen Y needing simulation and realistic practice, not just lectures. That’s exactly what worked for me. I was an actively learning under support. I feel like I was overall successful at the work I did and hope to continue it as a career.
On the other hand, when I got jobs in the restaurant industry, I don’t think I ever really had onboarding. It was basically get thrown on the floor, hopefully shadow someone once or twice, then learn by trial and error. One interview I had at World of Beer was that they had me take a side of the bar to tend and that in itself was the interview. That completely goes against what this week’s training learning materials are which specifically say onboarding should be structured, should set expectations, and managers should support the process rather than treat it like paperwork. The way restaurants do it feels more like survival mode and sink-or-swim, and that just seems like a recipe for poor adjustment and higher turnover. Although I feel I’ve become a very successful bartender, there is so much unprofessionalism that comes with the territory (starting with training) that I hope to not do it the rest of my life.
So, after comparing both experiences with this week’s content, I can whole heartedly say that training works when there’s a plan. It works when the environment is set up to help people succeed. And it fails when organizations assume people “just figure it out.”