The word “training” is so generally used that it may mean a variety of things. Many companies have training — or what they call training — but sometimes it’s just a meeting here or there. A company meeting is not training! In electrical contracting, training typically is technical in nature, such as training on a new device, system, or procedure. Before becoming mainly focused on electrical service and repair, we rarely had training meetings other than safety or company meetings.
If you are going to be successful in running a service-oriented electrical company, you have to train and train often — at least once a week or even twice a week is imperative. At my company, we currently train twice a week. One day is operational/sales, and the other day is technical. Some days we watch videos, and other days we may role-play various situations from different points of view.
Following are a few suggestions on training I’ve learned over the years:
- Set the schedule, and stick to it. Pick the day(s) and time(s), and always complete the training. The few hours you give up each week from being out in the field will be rewarding. We currently train on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and it’s rarely canceled.
- Delegate the training to different team members. Starting out, I used to perform all the training. Now I let different team members train on certain topics. One example is to put different training topics in a hat, and let each person draw one. You’ll be shocked at how well that will go. The employees get engaged and will learn the topic so they can teach it. Examples could be topics that coincide with the season, such as extreme heat or cold issues, heat safety, driving safety, surge protection, proper test equipment use, and so forth.
- Perform system training on a regular basis. Because we are mainly an electrical service and repair company, we maintain a methodical system that all our employees follow. It encompasses how to answer the phone, run the service call, collect payment, and follow up after the call. Our system training is constantly being taught. Yes, we go over the same things repeatedly. Just ask my techs, and they’ll undoubtedly agree. The best athletes in the world did not get there overnight; the game or match is just a fraction of the thousands of hours they put into it. Being a great technician is no different. Technicians have to constantly train to master their craft.
- Ask vendors to help train. Equipment manufacturers are constantly introducing new technology or products to market and generally have a representative on staff who will come to your facility to perform training. Ask them to bring breakfast for your employees, and your staff will love you for it. The presence of free food tends to increase training attendance.
- Encourage all team members to self-train. Our most successful employees are the ones who train outside company hours. This includes watching self-help videos or listening to podcasts, taking online classes on their own, or finding any other ways to learn. One advantage to being associated with a franchise system is access to an array of training materials. Our team members can access these at any time while at home — or even vacation.
As electrical contractors, we do not train enough as a whole. When I ask other contractors about training, most of them rarely ever train or don’t train at all. I know everyone wants their employees to be productive, and some may see training as lost revenue or a waste of time. But try it, even if it just starts out as a meeting. Turn those meetings into training topics, and you will reap the benefits. Don’t assume your employees know everything. When you train — especially role-playing and system training — you’ll find out what they know, and you may just learn something yourself.
Remember, no company is better than its employees. Keep your employees sharp, and keep up with the latest technology. For the entire company to succeed, you must train and train often.
Wise holds an A.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and is licensed in N.C., S.C., and Va. In addition to being a college electrical instructor, N.C.-licensed real estate broker and former NASCAR race car driver, Wise owns and operates Mister Sparky in Charlotte and Cherryville, N.C. He can be reached at [email protected].
