Hydra

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've been working one night a week since late November as a shift manager at the call center at which I work. It's been occasionally stressful, to be sure, but I've adjusted well, and the extra hours are certainly welcome. As I also mentioned in that post, the job I had really been looking forward to was that of trainer. I had spent much of September and October training temps (part of my duties as Overlord), so I had a pretty good idea about what was involved and how I would approach it if the job of training our own new people was mine.

Anyway, about three weeks ago, Jason (the call center's Big Boss) called me into his office for a private meeting. He told me that Laura, the recently appointed replacement trainer, was getting a new job. He wanted to know if I was still interested in learning the trainer position. I told him that I was. He asked me if I was concerned about being pulled in yet another direction with a new set of job duties, and I told him that wouldn't be a problem. So he gave me a copy of the trainer's manual to study in preparation, and we arranged for me to sit in and observe when Laura trained the next week's group of recruits on the 13th.

The day in question rolled around, and I showed up ready to watch and learn. I had read through the whole manual and had developed some ideas about how I'd run things when my turn came. Laura was supposed to find out about the demands of her new job on that day. Consequently, I was supposed to find out that day when (and how frequently) I'd be taking over the training duties. There was only one difficulty: Laura never showed up.

So, on Thursday, January 13th, I officially took over the position of trainer.

My first session was a little rocky, since I was now running the show when I'd only been planning to observe. But it turned out okay, and I discovered that most of my ideas worked pretty well. We have a skills test at the end of the training session, the point of which is to ensure that the new recruits A) can use the computer system well enough to do the job and B) have been paying attention during training. Four of the five people in attendance passed, which is pretty typical.

The actual training session is only one part of the job, though. There is also a lot of logistical stuff that needs to be done, both before and after the training. About an hour before the recruits show up, I'll check the schedule to see how many we're expecting. I pull their applications and get them entered into the computer. For this, I need to assign employee numbers to each of them and make sure they're active in both the electronic time card program that we use and in the interviewing program. I also make sure there are sufficient training materials available for everyone: manuals, pens, computers turned on in the training room, and so on.

After the training is over and people start completing their skill tests, I print out the results and grade them. Those who do not pass (which is pathetic, since the test is open-book) are thanked for their time and told that they can reapply in six months if they wish. Those who do pass are congratulated and offered a job. I give each of those who accept a big batch of paperwork to fill out. I collect and verify the paperwork for everyone once they've finished filling it out. I also make sure they've scheduled themselves for the appropriate number of hours and days. Then I confirm when their first day will be, thank them for coming, and wish them the best as they begin their employment. Their training experience is then over; my night still has a way to go.

We have five different policy forms that we have the new people read and sign, along with three government documents. We also have to take photocopies of their identification to verify their identity and eligibility to work in the U.S. Once all of this is obtained and verified, I create employee files and sort the various documents into what we keep at the call center and what goes to the main office downtown.

I then go into the computer system and delete their times for the night; since it is not a guarantee of employment, the training is non-paid. I put their schedule requests into Jason's in-box. Then I enter the ones who were hired into the employee database so that we can track their continued progress. Once all of this is done, I get to go home.

Last night was my third training session. I've pretty much got all the basics down. Now it's just a matter of refining my instructional technique and making the paperwork process more efficient.

So I have a very interesting work schedule now. On Tuesday nights I'm the shift manager. On Thursday nights and Saturday mornings I'm a quality assurance supervisor. And on Friday nights, I'm the trainer. I have become, in management terms, a sort of three-headed monster.