My understanding is that training is very important for employees at all levels because it helps set them up for success in their jobs, and it also helps supervisors stay on track and guide new employees. Out of all the trainings I’ve participated in, KidSpirit, a youth program on the OSU campus, stands out the most. KidSpirit usually offers multiple programs for summer camp, with trainings held at the beginning of each program. In the summer, activities include gymnastics, swimming, archery, and cooking. The program covers all aspects of working with youth, and rules and regulations must be strictly followed. There are five key areas that the program really emphasizes: safety, fun, learning, problem-solving, and leadership. Since more than a quarter of new employees, interns, and volunteers have limited experience working with the program or with children, onboarding is crucial.
According to the article “Your New Hires Won’t Succeed Unless You Onboard Them Properly,” onboarding isn’t just about new employees learning their jobs; it’s also a way for the entire organization to connect and build a shared culture. Managers use onboarding to point out resources and discuss strategies for working with children, especially when they aren’t cooperating.
The leadership staff understands that not everyone is familiar or comfortable working with kids. That’s why training begins with new employees participating in all the classes and programs before camp officially starts. That meant I had to try gymnastics, archery, swimming, and cooking. Each workshop gave us the opportunity to develop important skills like communication, leadership, and problem-solving. More importantly, every employee was required to write a journal to reflect on our thought processes and to help the leadership staff improve the activities for next time. The most important part was that every piece of writing was read by all three supervisors.
In contrast, a not-so-effective training I attended was at my other job (Foodservice) , where they hosted a meeting and talked through some issues, and called it good. It’s understandable that the nature of the two jobs is different, but the catering training felt ineffective because it offered little interaction and minimal reflection. At its core, these two jobs are designed for professional career development for students, but how training is done at each place differs greatly due to the nature of the work.
Reference
Ellis, A., Nifadkar, S., Bauer, T., and Erdogan, B. (2017). Your New Hires Won’t Succeed Unless You Onboard Them Properly