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Who in your organization is responsible for training?

Better yet, who should be responsible for training? Should it be a real “trainer” or a person who understands how to perform the job, regardless of their ability to train? Actually, I believe it ought to be both. Despite whatever efforts they may make, it is rare that I encounter a company that has truly mastered the art of training. That is to say typically, training in an HME company is the job of a tenured employee who can do the job with their eyes closed but does not have an inkling how to teach their duties to others. Conversely, if there is someone knowledgeable in how to train/teach, they often don’t have the HME background to teach the nuances and details associated with the job. The result is that the trainee gets confused or is simply ill prepared to perform his/her responsibilities

So what should you do?

Ideally, depending on the size of your organization, you should create a position for someone who is knowledgeable in the field (job function) but also has the personality to be trained as a trainer. It would seem easier to teach someone how to train rather than teach someone the ins and outs of the job. Therefore, you should find a train the trainer program to provide basic teaching skills.

If your company is large enough to have a full time trainer, I recommend adding this position to develop training materials and to coordinate and oversee the training programs for both the trainers and trainees.

How do you know if your training methods are effective?

Most important is that once you teach staff; test them to ensure that they have absorbed the information. It does not need to include a “blue book” type test but should rather determine if the staff member would be able to find the information if they need it. This could entail an “open book” test. Since the HME industry is inundated with regulatory changes, it is hard for staff to remember all they need to know. Consequently, expect to train and retrain staff periodically.

All in all, the importance of training cannot be overstated. The more time you take now, the more you benefit later. The untrained employee can become your worst nightmare, both internally and externally. Rather, if you spend time focusing on developing your staff, you will benefit by increasing staff retention and ultimately, adding value to your bottom line.