Welcome back to the Hirewell Hot Corner where sports and recruitment meet. I am your host, Dan Spittel, joined as always by my Ironman co-host, Louis Morici. Louie, great to see you again. Let’s jump right in. What’s going on in your world, and the world of sports today? A couple big things. MLB trade deadline happened, at 6:00PM Is that Eastern or central yesterday?
Was that the deadline? 6PM Eastern. Okay. Yeah, everything goes through Eastern, but, my cubs actually were buyers at the deadline. Brought in a couple pitchers. We brought back a third baseman Candelario, who had four hits, in his, I guess Cubs re-debut, if you will. So yeah, we’re looking to hunt.
We’re in third place, but we have the best run differential in NL Central. So we’re going for it. Who would’ve seen the Cubs being buyers at the deadline a week or two ago? Certainly not a lot of Cubs fans, it seems. Quite frankly, but I love it. We’re keeping some of the big names that thought we might move, at least for the rest of this season, like Bellinger and Stroman.
So, we’ll see how it shakes out. Awesome. The Pirates on the other hand did exactly what I expected them to do at the deadline. Sellers of smaller pieces, selling off rental people that they brought in. Veterans, get a couple prospects, maybe some boomer bust guys hoping to keep the window open in that two to three year window.
So no complaints here. Status quo. Pretty much. And Austin Hedges can’t hit a baseball so, it’s okay. Aside from MLB trade deadline, middle of the season, now we’re getting back to football man. NFL training camps, pads are on Hall of Fame Game is tomorrow. It’s almost there. Yeah, it’s an exciting time.
It’s like we’re getting some videos of highlights, from training camps, great plays, new guys adapting to their teams. Specifically on the Bears, adding DJ Moore, who wears number two and Justin Fields wearing number one. So that one two punch, as we’re going to obviously call it, looking like some real early chemistry and giving him a number one receiver to target all year.
So excited from a bear stand point. Hopefully see a little more inflated passing numbers for the bears this year instead of just running. Steelers camp, Kenny’s looking like a good year two breakout candidate, chemistry with his receivers look great. George Pickens is a freak of nature, as per usual.
Don’t know how he does what he does, but he keeps doing it day in, day out. So exciting stuff on both ends. Louie, how do we relate training camp to recruiting? So training camp, we’re relating that to training and onboarding new employees and really how pivotal that can be to attracting talent.
We’ve heard so many horror stories, at least, you know, we recruit and people are like, yeah, the training was this, that, and the other thing. Or it was just like very simple, throwing you to the wolves type environment and. It goes a long way when you have a robust model where you’re weeks one and two, it’s self-study, weeks two to four is shadowing weeks four to six is this. Like having it laid out, gives them a plan that A, it seems that they care about their new employees, that they’re not just coming in as being a number. But it really has them hit the ground running and be welcomed.
Yeah, absolutely. I would say if you had to put numbers to it, those who have robust training, onboarding programs for new employees probably have better retention rates than those who are a little more, trial by fire, churn and burn type places. I’m sure there’s HR data on that. I don’t have it in front of me. I can take an educated guess on that.
Louie, we always talk about things from both the candidate and the employer side. I guess let’s start with candidates. Why should a candidate care about a company having training programs? Ultimately it’s going to lead to success in any role.
As I’ve said before, and as you’ve said, I’m in the sales side of things. I’ve worked as a salesperson. Sales training is so pivotal. There’s scripts, there’s a product you need to learn, so you are the expert on it to be able to sell it. Internal technology processes, you know how to log leads or in any regard, in any type of technology. How do you use it? How do all the pieces fit from a sales process, from an internal process. There’s so much of it on the candidate side that if you handhold them a bit through it, they’re going to have it way better than someone who’s just like, here’s everything. Good luck. See you, if you make it.
Yeah. I mean, having a built out orientation period, probation period, whatever you want to call it. Three, six months, depending on the role, the complexity, having the opportunity to understand fully, what the plan is. Especially if it’s someone who’s, newer to a specific area, newer to a field, maybe someone coming right outta college in their first role in the corporate world, that could be so important.
So, crucial to their growth and success within a company. Being able to lean on whether you have a mentor, your manager, team lead, whatever that is, shadow, learn from those who are more senior in the team, in the organization. Anything like that is going to pay dividends from a company standpoint for those candidates that they take the time to really educate.
But from a candidate standpoint, an employee standpoint, it’s going to be imperative to their long-term growth and success, whether it be within a company, within their desired field, whatever that may look like. Yeah. I mean, the overall goal is for these new employees to feel like they’re being set up for success.
So in an interview process, if you can explain and dictate that to them, how that would look, it’s going to leave them with a lot more secure feeling in this role, should it come to fruition. You know, I always give a shout out to my old company, acquire, not only do they train you on, product specific training, but they do more general sales, how to leave a voicemail, how to get through gatekeepers, how to handle objections from a more general sense.
That stuff I take through my day to day in a business sense all the time and still use. So, having that pathway, you just feel supported. You feel like you actually can do this and never hurts to ask either. Yeah, absolutely. And you touched on the interview process that easy segue over to the employer side, how does this affect employers in the job market?
Why is this important on their end? From an interview standpoint, if you have a candidate interviewing at your company and another company, all other things being equal salary, benefits, job, you have a laid out training program, a laid out onboarding program. Here’s what you’re doing the first six months.
The other company says, well, you’re going to sell stuff. Or, oh, you’re going to be a project manager. You’re going to do that. I have to have imagined that the candidate’s going to pick the one that’s a very defined path. Thousand percent. Obviously there’s a lot more factors, but if again, they were deadly aligned, having someone or having a company tell you exactly how they’re going to train you to do this role compared to someone who’s just kind of throwing it at the wall and hoping it sticks.
I think you all know the phrase there, but, you know, it definitely sits well with them. Again, back to the security feeling. And I am a big proponent of not just having the same training for 10 years. Adapt it, take feedback, see how it could be more effective, implement new pieces to it, new topics.
But it should be constantly evolving, but it should all be to either streamline it or to further prepare these folks, for the short and long term of this role. No question. We have to adapt to the changes in the market, changes in society. Companies who don’t do that for their product or for their business would fall to the wayside very quickly.
So why should it be any different for training and preparing your employees to continue the success of your company? So, Definitely agree with you on that one. We have some clients who do some very impressive training, new hire orientation, whatever you may call it. My current client, they have a standardized training process for their consultants across the board.
Four to six weeks, it is flexible depending on the level in which the person coming in is. So they do tailor it to their level of experience, their level of knowledge in certain areas. But otherwise, they have a system that’s worked for them and they continue to maintain it and they run with it and it works.
I, as well, working with a company that has what they call a management trainee program. And, the first couple months is really just training on the company as a whole, but for the 15 month rotational part of it, you’re in production for five months. You’re in service for five months, you’re in sales for five months. And at the end, the ideal goal is to move into an outside sales role. But, during that program, you’re sitting with people, you’re shadowing, you’re doing the day-to-day and see about how all of these departments intertwine and you’re learning from senior leadership.
I mean, these are folks that have been doing this, maybe not just for that client, but for a number of years in their career and really helping craft these folks just general knowledge on business and how it conducts and all the stuff that goes into it. So it’s investing and it’s funny, 50% of that current team, or the managers in that region have gone through this platform.
So it’s not something that, it’s just for nothing. Like 50% of the management team have gone through this program. So it’s proven successful. That’s amazing. We would be remiss if we didn’t touch on Hirewell Hot Corner, top fan Jack Smith. You want to plug the client you’re talking about and are we still working with them?
What do we have open for ’em? Yeah, I mean, we’re working with a huge facility services uniform company, Cintas, they’re everywhere. We’re working on about 15 different locations, if not more. Service sales reps, management trainees, service supervisors, production supervisors, so many different roles.
Madison, Romeoville, just to name just two of the many. So, yeah, I guess we might as well plug it. We’re promoting it on LinkedIn all the time anyways, so yeah, if you’re interested in that sort of, line of work, plenty of roles in a lot of different areas. Definitely had to cover it. Cintas, a Cincinnati based company as well.
So, happy to have that one on the show. But the management trainee program brings up an interesting topic. Early career programs, rotational programs, leadership development programs, they’re not that common. A good number of companies, mostly larger companies tend to have them. But they’re very well-defined programs.
They’re investments from the company into employees to oversee it, staff to build it up and run and maintain these programs. Just like you said about the success of the management trainee program. I’ve heard similar success levels from a number of these early career talent programs, what they may be. And they’re especially great. This one I’m sure as well for new grads, people just joining the job force, looking for a way to get into an area that they’re passionate about. For this one, it’s sales, with Cintas. Other early career programs could be like a,
for my end of the world junior consultant opportunities. Similar to an internship, right after college, learned from a number of different managers in a number of different departments. My wife has been through a rotational program, leadership development program, in the healthcare sector. They’re proven, they’re effective. Yeah. Yeah. And one thing I want to point out that I don’t know if we’ve brushed on, these are big companies, Cintas, massive company.
They obviously have a lot of track record or a lot of experience in building this out. They’re a massive company and it’s very much needed. Now, if you’re a smaller company, something to think about. How can you onboard your new employees if you are a startup?
Like, what are the things they’re going to need to know and what time can you dedicate to these new employees? Now, it’s not always going to be as laid out this, this, this, and this, but having a plan and being able to articulate it really is what’s going to dictate to candidates. Is it worth going through?
So wanted to touch on big, small, and how they both can be effective, even if one’s a little bit more established than the other. Sure, anyone can do it. Just takes a plan and dedication. Buy-in from your internal stakeholders and can make it happen. Louie two minute drill. Take us home. Yeah, I think it comes down to having a training program. Again, kind of touched on it, being able to articulate it to candidates.
Because again, having a plan versus not, it’s going to take people out of consideration. And being able to dedicate the time and constantly evolving it. I think those are the biggest pieces of all of this, for a successful launch for new candidates, for new employees. Investment and innovation.
Very key points there. The other thing I want to point out for these employers that do offer these programs, and I know most of them are very vocal about it, be vocal about it. Be proud of what you do. That sets you apart from other employers in your industry, in the job market. Don’t be afraid to highlight that ’cause.
A lot of people might not know about these programs. We know they exist. We’re recruiters. We work with these clients. We like to hit on their main points. But that could be a deciding factor when trying to bring in a, what you view as, going to the last episode, what you view as a high performer. It could be the difference maker between them going with your company versus another.
Yeah. It’s really all about selling yourself. And if training is something you do very well, might as well talk about it. No question. Well, on behalf of Louie and myself, thank you for tuning into the Hirewell Hot Corner. Do join us again in two weeks for our next episode. And as always, stay classy LinkedIn.
