In my previous column, I talked about the essential importance of fleet and service provider management cultivating technicians within their own organizations and how TMC Recommended Practice (RP) 1607, Technician Career Development, provides a model for designing, developing and implementing a technician career development program. As was noted, the employer, manager and employee all have roles and responsibilities for making such a program a success.
That column, which focused on the employer, offered recommendations for developing formal policies related to employment and career development for their employees. Here, the discussion is on the manager’s and the employee’s responsibilities.
MANAGER/SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES
While the organization is responsible for setting up the structure and policies for a career development program, the technician’s supervisor or manager will play a key role in developing the individual. A good manager can motivate people and grow an effective organization.
Here are the expectations for someone in the role of supervising technicians:
- Communicate expectations – Ensure each employee knows what is expected of him or her. Having goals empowers employees and keeps them focused on their work.
Explicitly outline what you expect to be accomplished, the deadline for having it done and what becomes of the work accomplished.
- Provide support – Regularly remind your people that you are ready and willing to listen and address their questions and concerns. Maintaining an open channel of communication with open door policies generally provides an earlier awareness of problems, allowing them to be addressed before they develop into bigger issues.
- Communicate employee value – Employees strive for personal recognition. Consider providing routine updates on your company’s performance and how their positions support the overall business objectives.
- Stress professional appearance – Set clear expectations for professional appearance during the interview and selection process. Include specific examples for the open position as well as for the overall organization.
Managers should model the professional appearance expected in their employees.
- Present opportunities for growth – A manager or supervisor should communicate opportunities as they become available.
- Provide transparency – Hold standing team meetings and provide insight on what is going on within your organization. This creates “buy-in” and empowers your team through the spirit of partnership.
- Provide feedback – Both informal and formal feedback is important when developing an employee. Providing feedback on each individual’s performance and encouraging a discussion of career goals are critical.
During the evaluation process, discuss each employee’s goals. Some may require planning and tracking to improve the likeliness of achievement.
Informal feedback is also important for employee growth and in helping build commitment to the organization. It includes but is not limited to:
- Daily encouragement.
- Providing training results.
- Recognition from management.
- Approval from co-workers and supervisors.
Whether formal or informal, it is important to be honest, forthright and objective when providing feedback.
- Provide opportunities for technical development – Once a need is identified, evaluate the appropriate form of training – formal training by professionals, supplier-provided, peer-to-peer training, etc. Become familiar with your organization’s continuing education policy and applicability with regard to technical training.
This type of policy will provide a guideline of the relevant courses and the company’s contribution toward the cost of completing courses. Consider documenting available courses that you find appropriate to your business.
- Provide opportunities for non-technical development – Progression in a technician’s career path also requires continued advancement in verbal and written communication skills. Well-spoken, technically competent individuals are an asset to an organization, and having these skills will enhance a technician’s ability to achieve his or her career goals.
- Mentor new technicians – Mentoring is one of the most recognized ways to support and develop a new technician. Plus, it helps them become acclimated to the workplace and culture of your organization.
Mentoring not only builds professionalism and morale in new recruits, it often provides satisfaction for the mentor and reinforces their sense of value to the organization.
It is best to have technician mentoring performed by a senior technician who the employee does not report to directly. The person assigned to mentor the technician should be skilled at his or her job, a good communicator, respected by management and willing to take on the role.
The mentor should be a contributor to the goal-setting and evaluation process. This will also help the mentor gauge how the technician is doing between formal performance evaluations and show him or her how to obtain help when needed.
EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES
The employee needs to be responsible for his or her career development. The employer and managers are responsible for providing the environment for all employees to grow.
Here are five ways an employee can advance his or her career:
1. Create goals – Set career goals based on skills, talents, abilities and personal objectives. Encourage employees to use SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound) goals. Provide them with a goals template to assist them in tracking and meeting goals.
2. Strive for excellence – Perform current duties with excellence, strive to meet their current position’s goals and discuss their job performance with their manager.
3. Develop a positive personal brand – Establish a personal brand that is positive.
4. Communicate desires – Make career desires known often and broadly using appropriate forums.
5. Request continuing education – Understand your operation’s training policies and request appropriate courses that will support their personal development. Employees should focus on developing new skills and be ready when opportunities arise.
SUSTAINABLE CAREER DEVELOPMENT
When it comes to long-term potential, sustainability is key to the growth and development of your employees. An organization can create and maintain a high-performing culture by implementing sound processes in the interview, goal setting, employee evaluation and feedback processes.
Implement the processes and strategies for this, keep them in place, evolve them as necessary and provide ongoing support for your employees. This will help ensure that the foundation of the career development program established at your organization stands the test of time.
Kenneth Calhoun is the immediate past chairman of TMC’s S.16 Service Provider Study Group and vice president of customer relations for Truck Centers of Arkansas (www.truckcentersar.com), a full-service dealership with headquarters in North Little Rock, Ark. TMC is North America’s premier technical society for truck equipment technology and maintenance professionals (www.trucking.org/Technology_Council.aspx). It is a part of the American Trucking Associations (www.truckline.com), the largest national trade association for the trucking industry.
