New Employee Onboarding Project. Needs Assessment Summary

Transcription

1 New Employee Onboarding Project 9474 Needs Assessment Spring New Employee Onboarding Project Needs Assessment Summary Prepared by: Rachel Ogg

2 2 New Employee Onboarding Project Executive Summary A retail shop will be losing its long-time shop manager in June 2014 and will be hiring two new employees to take her place. In order to make this a smooth transition the shop owner wants to develop a set of onboarding training materials. A needs assessment was conducted to determine what information should be included in these new employee onboarding materials. All existing materials were analyzed and three members of the shop, the owner, the manager, and a new employee were interviewed and observed to determine actuals and optimals of daily performance. Data indicated that the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are needed to fulfill the requirements of the job would easily translate into an employee onboarding program. Standard shop procedures such as opening and closing the register, checking out a customer and processing inventory should be covered in a face-to-face training session at the time employees are hired. In addition, this information should be maintained in a folder or notebook as a permanent resource for the new employee to reference should she need to. Ideally the new employees will come to the shop with some knowledge of how to address basic mistakes in knitting. If not, individualized training would be provided to show the employee how to fix common mistakes such as dropped stitches and backing out knitting. Problem/Opportunity Statement Main Street Yarns & Fibers is a small retail store in Georgia that specializes in selling yarn and needles to knitting and crochet enthusiasts. For the past ten years there have only been two employees employed at any given time, including the shop owner herself. Turnover is very low, but as it happens the shop s manager for the past five years will be leaving this upcoming summer. The shop owner has decided to hire two employees to take her place, but realizes that she has no onboarding program in place for these new hires. The solution to this problem, which is the absence of an employee onboarding program, is to build this program from the ground up. Information to be included in this program will be determined based on the optimals that the shop owner is seeking as well as feelings/opinions that are presently held by current employees and instructors. Organizational Description Main Street Yarns & Fibers is a small retail store in Georgia that specializes in selling yarn and needles to knitting and crochet enthusiasts. In addition to supplies the shop offers classes and finishing services as well as an online storefront. For the past ten years there have only been two employees employed at any given time, including the shop owner herself and turnover is very low. Audience Analysis The shop owner, current shop manager and one instructor were the primary focus of this Needs Assessment. The shop owner purchased the shop in 2010 and the shop manager has been employed there since The instructor has been employed as a part-time instructor since 2009 and continues to teach classes during evenings and on weekends. Both the shop owner and shop manager share the responsibility for the day-to-day running of the shop. The shop

3 New Employee Onboarding Project 9474 Needs Assessment Spring owner is responsible for all financial and legal matters as well as assisting and ringing up customers. The shop manager is responsible for assisting and ringing up customers as well as processing all incoming/outgoing inventories, maintaining the online storefront and writing and distributing the monthly newsletter. Primary Data Sources Primary data sources include the shop owner, the shop manager as well as an adjunct instructor who recently began working in the shop on a limited basis. The shop owner will be able to provide information on optimals and what she hopes the new employees will be able to do after successful training. The shop manager will provide data on the actuals and the information that is needed on a daily basis in order for the new employees to be successful. Finally, the instructor was used as a primary data source because she has very recently begun working a few hours at the shop each month in addition to her teaching responsibilities. The questions she has and the comments she makes about various procedures for accomplishing tasks will hopefully provide specific data about what information should be included in the new hire onboarding materials. Data Gathering Techniques and Instruments Survey Interview Observation A needs analysis survey was conducted with the shop owner and the shop manager in order to elicit information about actuals. This survey provided the best information because it allowed us to determine both the tasks that were important to the job as well as the frequency with which they were performed. This helped in prioritizing the information to be included in the onboarding materials. The survey included ranking, forced response and open-ended questions. A series of interviews was conducted with the shop manager as well as the new part time employee in order to determine information about optimals and actuals. The interview with the shop manager provided information about the knowledge, skills and abilities that will be required of the new employees. The interview with the new part time employee offered insight into what questions a new employee will have while learning the ropes of a new job. All questions were open-ended to allow for the maximum amount of information to be obtained. Two observations were performed on two separate occasions and the shop owner was the subject of both. These observations were done to get a feel for the flow of the day-to-day activities in the shop and to ensure that none of the knowledge, skills and attitudes mentioned in the needs assessment survey or the personal interviews had been omitted.

4 4 New Employee Onboarding Project Data Gathering Process Survey Interview A survey questionnaire was given to both the shop owner and shop manager to complete. It provided information that allowed us to determine both the tasks that were important to the job as well as the frequency with which they were performed. This helped in prioritizing the information to be included in the onboarding materials. Two interviews were conducted, one face-to-face interview with an employee new to the shop and one with the shop s manager. The purpose in conducting these interviews is to learn more about what particular training needs must be addressed in a new-hire onboarding process and to develop a context in which to place these needs. The Interview Protocol was designed to elicit specific information on the various knowledge and skills required to adequately perform the duties of the job. In the end, all the responses were compared to see where there was overlap and on which areas the onboarding training should focus. Observation The original observation took place on a Saturday morning when the shop is usually the busiest. The shop owner was the person being observed and was chosen in order to determine the actuals of the day-to-day customer interactions. During each observation there were two staff members on duty. Data Analysis Process The second observation was conducted on a Sunday afternoon when the shop is usually the slowest. The same person was observed to see if there were any differences in how work was performed during times when sales volume was lighter. In neither observation was the shop owner aware that she was being observed. This was done intentionally because of the personal relationship between the observer and the shop owner in an attempt to maintain the integrity of the data collected from the observations. Survey The results of the survey questionnaire were tabulated and analyzed to see if both shop owner and shop manager view the daily responsibilities to be the same. The results allowed us to determine both the tasks that were important to the job as well as the frequency with which they were performed. In addition, specific information about the desired incoming skill level of the employee and the amount of time to be spent on his/her training was obtained. This helped in prioritizing the information to be included in the onboarding materials. Both surveys returned much of the same information and no major discrepancies existed. Interview Interviews with both individuals shed a different light on the training needs of a new employee to Main Street Yarns & Fibers. Answers given during the interview were compared for similarities and patterns. Information supplied by the shop manager provided the necessary context for the training process and the responses given by the new employee offered the insight needed for

5 New Employee Onboarding Project 9474 Needs Assessment Spring triangulating data gleaned through the needs analysis survey. Observation The observations were analyzed for details that would either confirm or contradict previous claims about necessary knowledge, skills and abilities required of new employees. Overall both observations of the shop owner confirmed data that had already been previously discovered. All tools and technologies that were used to assist customers were the same that were indicated in the survey and interviews done previously. Data Table Technique Instrument Source Summary Survey Questionnaire Needs Analysis Survey Shop owner Skills rated as most important were helping customers with knitting problems, checking out a customer and opening the register for business. New employees should ideally be at the easy knitting level or above and will use ravelry.com and Microsoft POS technologies most frequently. Survey Questionnaire Interview Needs Analysis Survey New Employee Interview Protocol Shop manager New employee Skills rated as most important were helping customers with knitting problems, checking out a customer and opening the register for business. New employees should ideally be at the easy knitting level or above and will use ravelry.com and Microsoft POS technologies most frequently. New employee would like to have knowledge of shop s standard operating procedures as well as a deeper knowledge of the store s inventory. She would also like to have a deeper understanding of the properties of certain fibers and which projects they d best be suited for. Interview Shop Manager Interview Protocol Shop manager Shop manager identified the lack of presence of shop SOPs and the absence of adequate feedback for employees. She feels like overall, though, the shop is set up to help employees be successful.

6 6 New Employee Onboarding Project Observation Observation guide Shop owner All knowledge, skills and abilities that were previously identified were supported in the observation. The most common questions the employee received were knitting related and the most commonly accessed technologies were ravelry.com and the Microsoft POS system. General Data Summary and Interpretation After the data was collected it was determined that all current employees of the shop believe the same knowledge, skills and abilities are needed in order to be successful as an employee of the shop. The survey revealed that the most important things for employees to know are how to effectively assist customers with knitting problems, how to check out a customer and how to open the register for business in the mornings. Employees should also be at the easy knitting level in terms of experience and will need to develop proficiency in the ravelry.com database as well as the Microsoft POS. Interviews with the shop manager supported the findings from the survey and the new employee who was surveyed identified the need for a deeper understanding of yarn and fiber properties in order to better perform her job. Finally, observations of the shop owner during typical business interactions showed that the knowledge and skills listed previously were indeed the most necessary for a new employee to know as they are the ones performed most frequently. Knowledge/Skill Needs Details New employees will need a firm foundation on which to build their relationships with future customers. The most important tasks for a new employee are to be able to assist customers with basic knitting questions, open the register for the morning and check out a customer. Employees need to be able to assist customers with basic knitting questions and problems including fixing dropped stitches and/or backing out their work. A sample learning objective would be to have the employee perform the following tasks on a sample piece of knitting: - Identify a dropped stitch in stockinette stitch - Using a crochet hook or knitting needle, retrieve the dropped stitch Employees also need to know how to open the register for business in the mornings. A sample learning objective would be to have the employee open the register in front of a supervisor while performing the following tasks: - Turn on the computer - Double-click the POS icon to open the register Enter the password to login when the appropriate box appears - Remove the cash bag from the lockbox and insert the cash into the cash drawer Employees must be able to check out a customer in order to complete a sale. A sample learning objective would be to ask the employee to complete a sale while under the supervision of the shop manager or owner by completing the following tasks: - Scan each item into the system using the scan gun

7 New Employee Onboarding Project 9474 Needs Assessment Spring When all items have been scanned in hit the F12 key to show the customer their total - Ask how the customer would like to pay - Accept the customer s payment and enter the amount paid into the appropriately labeled box of either cash, check or credit - Press enter to complete the sale - If a credit card was used ask the customer to sign the charge slip - Hand the customer a copy of their receipt and wish them a pleasant day During the interview with the new employee it was mentioned that she would like to have a deeper understanding of the properties of common yarns and fibers that the shop sells. While this is certainly a desired skill, it is one that is acquired over time and with experience. As such it is not something that would be addressed in detail in a new-hire training program. Recommendations Training and resources for new hires should be established in order to effectively integrate them into the shop s environment. Standard shop procedures such as opening and closing the register, checking out a customer and processing inventory should be covered in a face-to-face training session at the time employees are hired. In addition, this information should be maintained in a folder or notebook as a permanent resource for the new employee to reference should she need to. Ideally, employees will come to the shop with some knowledge of how to address basic mistakes in knitting. If not, individualized training would be needed to show the employee how to fix common mistakes such as dropped stitches and taking out knitting. It is also recommended that the employee be supervised during initial sessions with customers to be sure that their problem is accurately fixed. In order for employees to gain a deeper understanding of the properties of common yarns and fibers it is recommended that the employee shadow either the shop manager or shop owner as they work with customers to make recommendations regarding yarn substitutions. Since this knowledge is best acquired through repeated exposure this will be the most effective way to learn the information. Additionally, recommended reading of The Knitter s Book of Wool and The Knitter s Book of Yarn should be assigned as they will help answer some of the more intricate questions that an employee might have about yarn and fiber properties.

8 8 New Employee Onboarding Project Appendix A Needs Analysis Survey 1. Listed below are several of the most common tasks for a shop employee. Which of these items are most important for a new employee to know how to do? Please rate the following items in order of importance with 1 being most important and 10 being least important. Help customers with knitting problems Help customers with crochet problems Add new inventory to the database Open the register for business Close the register for business Check out a customer Add new products to the website Write, format and send an newsletter in the Constant Contact program Sign up a customer for a class Post updates to Facebook and Ravelry 2. Listed below are several of the most common tasks for a shop employee. Please rate these items in order of the frequency with which they are performed. 1 = performed most frequently 10 = performed least frequently Help customers with knitting problems Help customers with crochet problems Add new inventory to the database Open the register for business Close the register for business Check out a customer Add new products to the website Write, format and send an newsletter in the Constant Contact program Sign up a customer for a class Post updates to Facebook and Ravelry 3. In general, which statement best describes your feelings about the hiring of two new employees? a. Very much looking forward to it b. Sort of looking forward to it c. Not really looking forward to it d. Definitely not looking forward to it

9 New Employee Onboarding Project 9474 Needs Assessment Spring According to the Craft Yarn Council there are four skill levels in knitting. They are defined as follows: Beginner Entry-level knitters capable of using basic knit and purl stitches and projects with minimal finishing. Easy Capable of using basic stitches and/or repetitive stitch patterns, performing simple color changes, and knitting projects with simple shaping and finishing. Intermediate Capable of knitting projects with a variety of stitches, such as basic cables and lace, simple intarsia, double-pointed needles and knitting in the round needle techniques. Able to knit items requiring mid-level shaping and finishing. Experienced Capable of knitting projects using advanced techniques and stitches, such as short rows, fair isle, more intricate intarsia, cables, lace patterns, and numerous color changes. After reading the information above what knitting skill level would you like your new employee(s) to possess? a. Beginner b. Easy c. Intermediate d. Experienced 5. According to the Craft Yarn Council there are four skill levels in crocheting. They are defined as follows: Beginner Entry-level crocheter capable of using basic stitches and projects with minimal shaping. Easy Capable of using basic stitches and/or repetitive stitch patterns, performing simple color changes, and crocheting projects with simple shaping and finishing. Intermediate Capable of crocheting projects using a variety of techniques, such as basic lace patterns or color patterns, mid-level shaping and finishing. Experienced Capable of crocheting projects using intricate stitch patterns, techniques and dimension, such as non-repeating patterns, multi-color techniques, fine threads, small hooks, detailed shaping and refined finishing. After reading the information above what crocheting skill level would you like your new employee(s) to have? a. Beginner b. Easy c. Intermediate d. Experienced

10 10 New Employee Onboarding Project 6. Which technologies do you use on a daily basis to assist customers? Please check all that apply. Ravelry.com Yarndex.com Shopify online webstore Facebook.com Twitter.com YouTube.com Microsoft point of sale system 7. How much time will you be able to devote to training a new employee? Please choose one answer. a. 1 day to 7 days b. 8 days to 14 days c. 15 days to 30 days d. 31 days to 60 days 8. Who will provide the training to the new employee? Please choose one answer. a. Myself b. A member of my staff 9. How will the training be delivered? Please choose all that apply. a. printed materials b. online tutorials c. hands-on, situation-based training 10. What do you think will be the most difficult or time-consuming aspect of onboarding new employees? -- Open-ended response here --

11 New Employee Onboarding Project 9474 Needs Assessment Spring Appendix B Interview Protocol for New Employee Date: Interviewee: Interviewer: Motivation What led to you wanting to get involved at MSYF? Expectations What do you believe you are expected to do in your role at MSYF? Tools What resources (computers, books, tools, etc.) do you presently have to help you meet the expectations that have been set for you at MSYF? What other resources do you need in order to be successful? Processes In terms of getting things done, are processes (or systems) in place to help you be successful? (e.g., process for how to check out customers, how to help them with knitting or crochet problems, etc.)

12 12 New Employee Onboarding Project Feedback How will you know when you are meeting the requirements of your job? Knowledge/Skill What skills do you need to help you be successful in your work at MSYF? What skills are needed by the following people to help you be successful in your work? Environment Is your work environment set up to help you be successful? How so? What barriers to success do you confront in your workplace? How could these barriers be overcome? Incentives In what way(s) are you encouraged to do different things around the shop? What other incentives would lead you to do more?

13 New Employee Onboarding Project 9474 Needs Assessment Spring Appendix C Interview Protocol for Shop Manager Date: Interviewee: Interviewer: Vision What do you think MSYF is trying to accomplish with its presence? What are its goals? What do you wish it would accomplish? Expectations What do you believe your role is in working towards this goal? Are you happy in this role? If not, please explain what you would like your role to be? Tools What resources (computers, books, tools, etc.) do you presently have to help you meet the expectations that have been set for you at MSYF? What other resources do you need in order to be successful? Processes In terms of getting things done, are processes (or systems) in place to help you be successful?

14 14 New Employee Onboarding Project Feedback How will you know when you are meeting the requirements of the job? Environment Is your work environment set up to help you be successful? How so? Incentives In what way(s) are you encouraged to do different things around the shop? What other incentives would lead you to do more? Self-Concept If your organization was extremely effective, how would you see yourself in that picture? (Describe what you see.)

15 New Employee Onboarding Project 9474 Needs Assessment Spring Appendix D Observation Guide Date: Time of day: Person being observed: TOOLS, ENVIRONMENTS, AND PROCESSES 1. What is the ambient environment of the shop like during this observation? 2. What tools were most commonly used when helping customers? Pattern books, Ravelry, instruction by staff members, yarn ball bands etc 3. What resources, if any, did customers ask for but were not available to them? 4. Was the loyalty rewards card consistently asked about and/or offered to the customer? EXPECTATION AND FEEDBACK 1. Did this staff member seem to know what was expected of her? 2. Did this staff member become stressed or anxious at any point during the observation? If so, what seemed to cause it? MOTIVATION AND SELF-CONCEPT 1. Does the salesperson seem to view herself as a helpful, customer-oriented sales person? COMPETENCE: KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

16 16 New Employee Onboarding Project 1. What kind of questions do customers ask the staff member? 2. Do staff members seem to answer them successfully? OTHER NOTES