How to train employees?

[Trueturning]

I understand the down sides. I'm in a weird spot at the moment because I am transitioning from student to teacher at my shop. I do keep my machine running, but also take the time to train the new guy. Granted he is 2x my age and wants to learn, which is a huge plus. I would think that the experienced guys, and having several to teach would be plus since the task of training gets distributed. I do realize I have much to learn about leadership though.

For what one can positively do which is a lot really because while you train them you work them. Even if a trainer is training or not they will be on the payroll and if there is no work for these fellows to do then there is no need to hire them anyway. If one needs a level of experience then they must find a person, do the extra work themselves, or hire a experienced person.

I have trained many persons over the years some with experience actually most as I have always been tasked with that and also with new green employees. I have had to use translators and sign language to do so because they did not speak good English fully legal workers as far as the company swore and their report not all Spanish mostly/only either.

For what I did I tried to return what was done for me. I was never rewarded with more money easily for doing that really. Not a bonus nor a very very good raise unasked by me. I would have to be persistent at asking for raises.

I would leave when I wished especially though and if I grew to dislike my employer or a employee which I did leave. Not a lot of hopping jobs really.

If someone has a level of ability then they can learn I believe because I have seen it. It takes effort and patience and sometimes just being fair with them.

I know how hard this is to do and it was never easy. I tried to avoid doing that a lot. If I really did not like someone and they were a real mess then someone else had to step up and train them because I would not.

Training can work well and maintaining them being good employees is a lot dependent on management and reward. That is what makes the world go around.

 

[Stoney83]

Thought I would give a 2 week update. Been super busy and not active on the forum. Although I see this discussion made YouTube and I thank everyone for the feedback.

Things are going a bit better now that I’ve been in the shop constantly (not where I want to be 50-60hrs a week)

The good news:

We are setting up the TM2P with identical tooling as the brother R450s as a training machine it looks silly because everything is out 180 degrees. I have one guy that is capable of programming but not comfortable doing so on the brothers hopefully this changes and he can do tooling and fixtures on a slower machine.

One of the employee took an entrance exams to a local college and is a sharp guy. With some time and training I think he has a lot of potential, he will start college in the new year.

I hired a cleaning lady 2 days a week for 4 hours a day as I was getting irritated all the trash cans were always full and things where messy.

We have a large 2500 pc order that just came in and will keep the guys busy for 2-3 weeks.

I hired my dad back on a limited basis for maintenance and millwright work. He’s 66 so this isn’t a long term solution.

We have started using kiasen foam to organize things and I’m not the one doing it.

The Bad:

I’ve not made much progress on spec sheets and only done a handful. I’m thinking this would be a good project for the employee capable of programming. It would give him some expertise with the parts we run and I could then go in and double check everything.

There’s still way too much work only I’m capable of doing and ultimately I’m the bottleneck on growing the company. Pierson work holding has a video on YouTube relating this to being the hub in a wheel. If the hub fails so does everything else. That’s where the company is and it’s not a good place to be.

The newest operator is going to take some work. There’s warning signs with mechanical aptitude. I need to address this instead of having a more senior employee train him as members here have pointed out. Or perhaps give him green button duty.

A larger customers passed away from complications of Covid at 62 years old. His son is capable of taking over the business but there are some unknowns here that no-one wanted to see.

 

[michiganbuck]

Face mills are very tricky. starting at one place and going around can distort the pockets to where the last inserts are not even seating to the correct pocket angles. Insert height if not checked can allow one or only a few inserts to do the surface finish quality.

Inexperienced new guys should work under the experienced guy..and be instructed off a crew sheet so important small facets of procedure are not missed.

New guys often think of the same time savings idea that caused scrap just like the last guy who tried it..a note on a print "dont do this" can often save dollars.

 

[Kingbob]

One tip: When teaching, keep your hands in your pockets. If the trainee is watching your hands his hands aren't learning. I think it was Joseph Whitworth that said something along the lines of "Knowledge is absorbed through the fingers".

 

[D Nelson]

On the facemills I keep new screws in a box of inserts at the station we swap inserts if the screws are getting bad replace the damn things they don’t last forever. The other problem it just sux I make mistakes all the time just cuss for a little bit and get over it
Don

 

[john.k]

Exactly right......one of the big mistakes you make is tightening the clamp screws "One more time".......the torx hole is sloughed out almost round ,the key is worn to a frazzle ,and takes out the last of the spline........naturally ,its OK to go ,so back into the machine ......but when its time to change the inserts,and someone (not you) cant get the damn screws out .

 

[CarbideBob]

Training employees.
Patience is a key.
They are all brain dead as they do not know what you know.
Herein comes the problem as we expect them to know that stuff that is so simple to us.
Then we get pissed because they can not get righty-tighty lefty-loosey or understand how much to tighten a screw or clamp.
We where all there once. I have to remind myself of this.
Bob

 

[john.k]

Tighten it till it strips,then back it off a hair.

 

[ratbldr427]

No NO! John it's tight as you can then one half turn more. When I left Queensland I was to young to pick up bad screw tightening habits!

 

[john.k]

I put a new head gasket in my pickup..... torque 30,then 90+90+90 TTY headbolts......I nearly pulled my arm out of my shoulder .....bolts were only 12mm too ,I was sure something was going to break .....they were just rough looking Chinese bolts.