A contractor coaching client recently asked me to assist with an employee who was not meeting expectations. The employee was not performing in a satisfactory manner that has lead to a serious customer complaint and loss of profit.
I asked the contractor if the carpenter was following the company procedures and he answered no we never took the time to write them down.
Next, I asked does the employee have a job description, the same answer no. The employee was hired and placed in the field with no company orientation or training.
This is a common challenge for many contractors and entrepreneurs. Often times, employees are hired quickly and thrown into the field using the baptism by fire method. Owners assume that through osmosis the new hire will inherently know what is expected. Then when performance doesn't meet expectations, the contractor or entrepreneur becomes upset with the employee.
Every business owner should consider developing an employee handbook and job description for any new hire. Expecting our employees to be mind readers and meet our expectations without clear expectations is setting each party up for failure.
As an owner of a business, it is your responsibility to clearly describe what you expect from all your employees as well as your subs and vendors. A simple job description will prevent many misunderstandings and may prevent an employee from filing a complaint with the state board. Contractor training and education will benefit you, your employee and your customer.
Below is a link to the national forestry website employee handbook template. This simple template is free and will allow you develop a basic handbook for your employees.
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/wihispanic/employee_handbook/default.htm
There are many other free sites that will help you create a handbook for your company. Search "employee handbook" and several free sites will be listed.
The time invested in your company manual and job descriptions is well worth the effort.
Do your employees perform up to your expectations?
