Week 6 Blog

Training is a vital aspect of ensuring commonality of performance expectations throughout the organization. An example of a time when I had poor training was when I was hired at H&R Block last year. First, you are expected to make an account online, and then go through an online training course, which, if you don’t just skip through the videos (like I did), will take you about a week. They are very structured and heavily detailed on the information of the role, with an exam after each topic to make sure you understand the information. This can be effective in relaying all important information to the new employee, or a promoted one. But the problem after the fact is that once I started working there in person, it was as if it was expected that I already knew everything. Technically, there was even an Assistant Manager available who could have taken the time to show me around. It also doesn’t help that every employee works for themselves, and gets commission per appointment, so it is very competitive between each other. This means you also have to quickly adapt to understanding each individual Tax Pro’s needs. I would expect to be told this beforehand due to the importance of this matter. There was no overall group building, and the presentation wasn’t handled by others. In situations where someone messed up, there was a spread of judgment and more tension throughout the office, which complicates things further. I’ve also never been evaluated after the fact, which doesn’t leave room for me to provide input, or make me want to ask questions to my colleagues. In effective situations, I was thoroughly taken step by step multiple times through the process, then evaluated after by taking an exam, and getting hands-on experience once I felt comfortable in what I was doing. (Outline) This was working at the Pharmacy, which is a company that aligns with privacy policies, and handling sensitive information. The Pharmacy was more effective at informing me about what’s at stake when you make a mistake, versus getting in trouble after making the mistake you didn’t know you were going to make from the start. After reading other reviews of what other former employees at H&R Block have said, it supports what has been previously stated. Another way they can effectively train people in the future is by teaching them how to handle difficult customers. Active listening is a good quality to start with, and then going to your manager after, instead of trying to handle the situation on your own. (Shonk, Katie)

Works Cited:

1. Shonk, Katie “How to Deal with Difficult Customers.” PON – Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, 2 Sept. 2019, www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/dealing-with-difficult-people-daily/deal-with-difficult-customers/)
2. Outline – Training and Development.docx