WINTER 2014

174 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

174 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK WHY FASTENER DISTRIBUTORS SHOULD EMBRACE TRAINING continued from page 172 Improved Productivity Many individuals in my parents’ generation struggle with new technology. Take for example cell phones. It took my father probably ten years after the popularization of cell phones to actually get one. Although now that he has one, he seldom uses it and when he does, it is only to make phone calls. I have never asked but I would venture a guess that he does not know how to use the texting features and camera that are available on his phone let alone the “Apps” that would allow him to connect with his “friends”, view a video, or deposit a check without driving to the bank. Likewise, I think it is a common tendency for most everyone to utilize only a fraction of the functionality of many of their modern conveniences. This may be because they don’t really need those unused functions, but often it is because they are intimidated and don’t take the time to learn how to use them. Imagine enlightening productivity how and enhancing getting educated in these matters can be. It may be readily apparent regarding personal items like a SMART phone or DVR, but translate that to training in the office. Whether it is knowledge based training like a Fastener Basics course or functional training like learning the features of a work based computer software program, there is little dispute that vocational training begets more educated and productive associates. Improved Customer Service Take a moment to reflect on several of the more frustrating customer service exchanges you have experienced. Likely, several common themes come to mind, such as not being able to understand the individual you are seeking help from (a common complaint of individuals transferred to overseas service centers), not being “heard” by your help giver, not being able to reach an actual person, and perhaps the most frustrating of all, reaching someone and discovering they do not possess enough knowledge or The further down into the organization one goes, generally, the less training or job preparation an individual receives. empowerment to actually solve your problem. Although empowerment is entirely another cultural issue, knowledge is a problem that can usually be solved with education and training. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the reputation of being “the” industry’s knowledge leader Can you imagine a day when customers specifically seek your company out because they know that they can speak with a knowledgeable individual that will assist them in solving their current fastener related problem One of the ways to achieve this is to invest and reinvest in the training, development, and knowledge of those associates who most commonly interact with your customers. Retention A new challenge that will be faced by companies in the coming years is the transition of older employees leaving the workforce and youth coming of age and entering the workforce. Like society as a whole, no individual company can survive without this right of passage. However, the Millennial Generation (one now entering the workforce) has some fundamentally different views on career and the workplace than their predecessors, the Baby Boomers and X Generation. One of these differences is their seeming openness to change. As a generation, they are much more willing to make career changes or flip companies than their older X Generation and Baby Boomer colleagues are. Therefore, retention will become an increasingly important topic because it is simply too expensive and disruptive to an organization to have constant changeover. One proven method for retaining individuals, especially Millennials, is to invest in them through training. Interestingly, this need not be directly related to their existing job function. In fact, it may have a greater impact to not be directly job function specific. For example taking an engineer and giving them some training in financial acumen may be extremely interesting to that individual and signal to them the company’s personal interest and investment in them and their careers. Training is a fantastic retention method, assuming that it is done intentionally and with a mutual end goal for the company and individual. please turn to page 175

THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 175 WHY FASTENER DISTRIBUTORS SHOULD EMBRACE TRAINING continued from page 174 Practical Matters As discussed earlier, training should be strategic. This means it must include the entire organization from the CEO down to the lowest ranked associate. Too many organizations focus only on a small segment of their business, for example engineers or sales, at the exclusion of everyone else. In other cases, the managers, supervisors, and long-tenured individuals are always “too busy” to be included. Everybody in an organization has a part to play and everybody needs continued training and retraining. In addition to conducting technical and functional training, your organization should identify places where “soft skills” training would be beneficial. These are skills like customer service, supervision, negotiation, project or time management, and problem solving. Often these are the subjects that are most beneficial to individuals, especially those that comprise your “technical team”, and interestingly, most appreciated. Currently there are several excellent general training courses that are fastener focused. These generally teach basic topics such as how to use standards, terminology, bolted joint technology, basic fastener materials, and other essential fastener related topics. Although these do an excellent job, they are not customized to a company’s specific needs. Additionally, most companies are unable to send more than a couple of key players to these courses. Although these “realities” should not deter a company from sending associates outside for training, most of the training organizations also offer customized, in-house training. This may be worth consideration if there are specific areas you desire your entire team to know better. It will also allow you to expose more individuals to the material and in a more comprehensive and cost effective manner. Summary I have encountered many organizations over the years. Although I have known organizations that seem to be training all the time without any outward signs of effectiveness, and far more that almost completely ignore formal training, most organizations that strike the right balance find it an extremely effectual and high dividend producing activity. It must be done intentionally. Training just to show an activity or to be able to “check a box” on some auditor’s form is of little or no value. However, when done with clear goals in mind, training can be an extremely significant activity for any organization and one that should be embraced with some level of enthusiasm and import as other activities which shape and mold the identity of the company.