[Stonehenge]

When you guys hire a new employee, what does that employee's first day look like?

Is it a day of paperwork and observation? Do you include any training in that first day (or days)?

I'm working on an employee manual (and a great deal of thanks goes out to a member of this site for sending me a hardcopy of theirs to use as a starting point that leaves me close to being finished ), and also some manuals on each general type of project we do. However, for right now, first day orientation consists of:

"Here's where you go to the bathroom."

"Here's where the first aid kit is."

"Here's some paperwork. Get it back to me tomorrow morning."

"Here's your T-shirts."

"Let's get to work."

I'm hoping you folks do more than I....

[diginahole]

I wish I could say I did more, but you handle it pretty much the same as I. Training.... that's continuous from day one until..............

[Nebraska]

An area that I obviously need to work on! The first day is almost the same here. It's an issue of time.....yet in the end a more involved maybe 30-45 minute orientation may save many headaches and stupid looks.

[Paul]

It's a bit different here, depending on the new hire.
Laborer, first check that he has all the paper work that is needed, next read a safety handbook. then 30 minute orentation.

Drivers, they don't get hired until their DL has been checked and they have a health card, then they get a test drive and the above.

Operators, same as above plus they watch videos of the equipment and attachments that they will run. Not all of this will happen on the first day but will in the first week

[Stonehenge]

Paul, what do you do re: hardscape teaching? Do you have a manual, or do you have any kind of informal training before the beginning of the first project?

Or do they learn on the fly?

[JAA]

Fill out the paperwork.
Get a tour.
Intro to foreman.
Intro to "trainer" who orientates them on equipment they will be using.
May go out on a crew depending upon timing, although usually the second day is when they get out in the field.

[Bexter]

Our training day is on April 12th ...probably be about 15 new hires.
This is our first season with a legit safety program (along with the huge amount of documentation that comes with it) in place and we will probably spend a few hours going through our manual..WHMIS etc.
We then split them into five groups ... someone will show them a builders level ...set it up and explain grades etc ..Show them a drawing/plan. Another group will be shown how we plant a shrub/tree ...staking….mulching…watering etc.
Another group will be shown how to load and chain down a machine ..backing up to a trailer and take it for a drive around the block. Another group is given a run down on all equipment …shown how to check oil levels etc. and shown our fuel tanks and logs.
Another shown paper work ..time cards … company shirts etc.
They then rotate to the next “station” until they have been through it all.
Granted, you can’t train them in one day and of course most is done on site. This gives them an idea of how we work.

[Stonehenge]

That's a great idea. I was envisioning one day even having a weekend hardscaping course for new employees, where we walk through a 50sq install, along with softscapes, grading, and all the eqpt, etc that you go through.

But that day is still a long way away for us.

[Bexter]

I don't feel that day should be much further away for you Jeff ... I don't think we are that much bigger of a company. In fact with a smaller group you could probably afford to go into more depth than us.