Proper Training and Guidance is Key for New Employee Success

RCS Influencers Seth and Ashley Pietsch say that training and support go a long way in helping a new team member succeed.

At Integrity Insurance & Bonding, we have designated our lead sales executive (also known in the insurance industry as a producer) to handle all new staff that joins our team. She spends the time needed to review all our company procedures and guidelines. Being in insurance we must be certain new team members understand how, when and where to document emails and conversations about insurance and coverages.

Our lead producer then gets the new team member set up to learn our computer management system, called Vertafore. They get a log in to use online and can take classes through Vertafore University, the system’s online training portal. Once they are trained, she meets with them on a regular basis to see how they are doing and to answer questions they may have. She then reports to us about how the new team member is doing. By having one person focus on the new hire, it ensures a consistent experience and messaging for the person.

It’s very important for a new hire, especially in a roofing company, to understand what the owner’s expectations are so they can do the work properly and in a way that meets the owner’s standards. It’s equally important to document your onboarding and training processes. While we all want a new hire to work out, there may be times that it just isn’t the right fit, or they are not performing to expectations. In the event that you do need to make a change with that employee, you will have documentation that shows the training and onboarding that they received so it’s harder for them to try to lay the blame on the business owner.

One of the things that we have found to work well in our business is to continue the check in process with your entire team through a weekly meeting, not just when they are new. We do a 15-minute meeting every Friday where we hear from our sales teams what’s on their plate, what customers they are going after and if they are having any hassles from the insurance companies we work with. It creates a strong continuity among the team and helps them to not feel like they are out there on their own individual island. Supporting your team is key to success.

Seth Pietsch is the president and Ashley Pietsch is vice president of Integrity Insurance & Bonding Inc. See Seth’s full bio here and Ashley’s full bio here.