As companies start to recover, their focus will be on matching resource needs to increase post-pandemic volume changes. An emphasis on recruiting, on-boarding and coaching new employees to meet that demand is at the heart of this effort. In support of achieving “preferred employer” status, it is essential to create effective onboarding and formal coaching programs.
Without proper training, formal performance coaching and the use of clear expectations, new workers can get lost in the on-boarding shuffle, resulting in a significant loss of performance. An effective labor management program will assist organizations in managing through the hiring and onboarding process so that associate performance is maximized. An additional benefit of formal on-boarding and coaching programs is increased engagement between management and associates, resulting in increased retention levels and ultimately an improved culture. The use of labor management software will provide all the tools necessary to control your labor spend resulting in significant labor savings.
What is performance coaching?
During the on-boarding process for new hourly associates as well as ongoing formal training for your existing associates, labor management software will provide your managers with the “performance coaching” tools necessary to teach associates the correct operating procedures and develop the skills necessary to perform the job correctly. Coaching should be a consistent, positive interaction that helps employees reach their goals by building on their strengths and assisting with skills in need of improvement.
True performance coaching occurs multiple times over each associates employment period, not in a single meeting or by having a random chat when the opportunity presents itself. Coaching and engagement sessions can be set up at scheduled intervals or labor management software can automatically alert you to the fact that someone needs additional training. Of course, using both approaches is typically the best way to ensure all needs are met.
Utilizing real-time data
Performance coaching and on-boarding is most effective when supported by a labor management system, such as TZA’s ProTrack Labor Management Software.
With access to real-time performance data provided by ProTrack, accurate and detailed performance reviews are easily completed by floor supervisors to assure each hourly associate is receiving the assistance they need to perform at the correct level. Just as important, ProTrack helps to identify those associates who should be recognized for having a positive impact on the business through their performance. By utilizing fair performance metrics developed in ProTrack to guide your coaching sessions, every employee will receive the assistance and positive recognition they need.
ProTrack provides supervisor tools necessary to support an effective onboarding and coaching program, resulting in reduced turnover and labor spend.