Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 20 percent of workers in the U.S. have found new jobs. As many as 50 percent of Americans were predicted to be looking for new work towards the end of last year; this trend isn’t expected to slow down anytime soon. Amidst this historically fluid labor market, successfully onboarding new talent has never been more important.
As quality control specialists in the chemical distribution industry, we know first-hand that onboarding new teammates requires more than just setting up email accounts and signing paperwork. First and foremost, the work we do to set new colleagues up for success is grounded in familiarizing them with the vast set of rules and regulations chemical distributors – and their specific jobs within the industry – are subject to.
Between all the acronyms, shorthand, codes, and procedures, it can be dizzying work training new employees on the ins and outs of chemical distribution. Few industries are as specialized and regulated as ours — and that’s before you account for the variety between businesses, chemicals, and end-products. For those moving within the industry, it’s often just as important to ensure that new hires are up to speed on the company culture and its internal acronyms, vocabulary, vernacular, and communication tools. And while it may seem counterintuitive, even current employees who switch to a new job role may need just as comprehensive an introduction to their new department and role as a new hire coming on board.
All good training should start with a hazard assessment to determine what the employee will primarily be doing and what procedures and regulations they will need to be fluent in. Helping them understand the “why” of the processes they’re being taught is key to aiding retention and helping them see the bigger picture. Then, with task flow lists, protocols, and procedures in hand, employees participate in mandated training and company training in which they are asked to observe, ask questions, and provide comments.
Interestingly, onboarding training isn’t just beneficial for new hires. What you teach, you learn; employees who train their incoming colleagues invariably learn something new as well. That’s why we encourage as many employees as possible to participate in the onboarding and training process. Furthermore, we as companies seek to learn what we can from employees being onboarded. When you hire talent, they’re likely to bring insights and best practices from their past jobs and can bring new approaches and ways of tackling the tasks and challenges of their new jobs.
When an employee is near the end of their onboarding training, asking them to teach back the skills they’ve learned can help fortify that knowledge and demonstrate that they fully understand the applicable procedures. Repetition is key to ensuring that they will be able to conduct their new job on their own once they are certified and then ongoing training ensures they stay current. It’s true that while onboarding training is essential, it only represents about 10 percent of an employee’s success. The rest is ongoing education, training, and review, whether through formal training modules, observing peers, regular toolbox talks on changes within the industry, or any other number of methods of ongoing support.
Implementing onboarding procedures can take time. If you’re looking for a good place to start, look no further than NACD U. NACD U is an online training center specifically designed to sharpen critical skills, improve performance and knowledge, and enhance the professional development of workers in the chemical distribution industry. Whether your company is large or small, NACD U can provide your employees with the training they need at a low cost. Other resources, such as NACD’s Code Coordinator Manual, can be a useful tool in creating a checklist for new employees as they learn new skills.
Successful onboarding doesn’t just check the boxes of required training and give a new teammate the skills they need to succeed: it also creates greater cohesion within the entire team and can lighten the burden on your shoulders. At the end of the day, open communication needs to be constant throughout the process. From there, your employees can gain the skills they need to succeed in chemical distribution.
Brenntag is the global leader in chemicals and ingredients distribution. They hold a central role in connecting customers and suppliers of the chemical industry. Their two global divisions, Brenntag Essentials, and Brenntag Specialties provide a full-line portfolio of industrial and specialty chemicals and ingredients as well as tailor-made application, marketing and supply chain solutions, technical and formulation support, comprehensive regulatory know-how, and digital solutions for a wide range of industries.
EMCO Chemical Distributors is a leading chemical distributor in North America founded in 1971. EMCO has grown to become one of the leading providers of chemicals and chemical-related products and services in North America and handles more than 350 million pounds of product through its distribution and contract packaging divisions annually.
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