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Reading Room Articles Planning an Effective Orientation Training Program By Dorothy Gourley, CAPS Written for Sales and Marketing Magic Imagine that it's the first day on a new job. Both the trainer and trainee share high expectations for success. We've all been the new kid on the block at one time or another, and many of us have been (or still are) in the trainer's seat. We know that every new job experience brings a new adventure in learning that requires a broad field of knowledge. This is especially true of on-site positions that require the new employee to become quickly aware of legal responsibilities, fair housing standards, company policies and procedures, resident services programs, and the community's market position. The new team member is often expected to absorb this (and much more) while contending with his or her own beginning expectations, fears, and uncertainties. This calls for immediate, supportive supervision and effective orientation training. It's no wonder that so many property management companies are searching for ways to improve their orientation training programs to ensure the new employee contributes to a well managed, marketed, and maintained apartment community. Planning the Course With the goal of creating a training program that effectively meets the needs of both the property management company and trainee, I recently had the opportunity to plan the Seven Course Orientation Program outlined in this article. This particular project offered the benefit of a Training Team that represented every organizational component of the company, including the Property Management Director; Human Resources Director; the company Attorney; the Marketing Leasing Trainer; several Regional Supervisors; selected, highly qualified on-site Resident Managers; the Financial Administrator; and Maintenance Director. Determining Training Priorities Discussions were lively as we selected the sequence of the courses to be included. At first, every person involved in the planning sessions felt their specific topic should have top priority. We soon came to realize how important our cooperation and success would be to the success of our newly trained team members. By the time we'd settled on the training sequence provided below, we'd learned a valuable lesson. Our Planning Team had a new respect for the vast field of knowledge that must be assembled and taught to ensure successful management of an apartment community. Our priorities were truly in order. Course Trainers and Topics Once the required courses were determined, we began the task of assigning training responsibility for each course of study to the appropriate corporate authority. Our course trainers were selected for their knowledge of the specific topics and their personal training abilities. Their training skills were tested and further reinforced with a Training Technology Course that covered the learning habits of adults, and how to meet the needs of individual students. Interactive discussions were held on the ten most serious problems trainers face, and how they could stimulate an effective learning environment. Now that courses had been determined and trainers assigned, our program was beginning to take shape as follows: COURSE TOPIC TRAINER I New Hire Orientation Human Resources Director II & III Marketing & Leasing Orientation Marketing & Leasing Trainer IV Management Administration Regional Supervisors / Resident Mgrs. V Financial Management Financial Administrator VI Legal Procedures Company Attorney VII Maintenance Administration Maintenance Director Discrimination, Fair Housing, OSHA, and ADA In discussing the course placement of Discrimination, Fair Housing, OSHA, and ADA issues, we determined that these topics should be placed in five of the orientation courses. The course instructors planned these topics into their curriculum and led discussions on how these topics could impact marketing, leasing, management, legal, and maintenance decisions. Time Line for the Seven Course Orientation Program Understanding the vast amount of immediate knowledge the new trainee is expected to absorb, we decided on a four week course of study, with weekly activities as follows: • 3 work days on-site - Shadow Training • 2 classroom days (½ days) - Orientation Training • 2 days off exception: no classes scheduled between the 30th and 4th day of each month. Our goal was that the Orientation Training Program should be completed in four weeks after the time of hire. On-Site Cross-Training Sessions Realizing the importance of the cross-training experience, the Orientation Training Program was extended to include an on-site cross training schedule, which the trainee would begin after completing two months of employment. Shadow training was chosen as the ideal means of ensuring team involvement and awareness of each other's duties and responsibilities. The cross-training schedule, including both observation and participation, was determined as follows: • ½ day Management • ½ day Leasing • ½ day Maintenance • ½ day off-site Marketing Cross training sessions were scheduled between the 11th and 25th of the month Training Location In an ideal world, we'd be able to take every new team member immediately into a classroom training course for five days, insulated from all outside interruptions. In the real world of budget constraints, our trainees are almost always needed on-site for immediate on-the-job start-up training. With this in mind, we compromised as follows: 1. The new team member is assigned to Shadow Training, on-site. 2. The new team member begins the Seven Course classroom training sessions. 3. The new team member is assigned Private Study Sessions to complete homework tasks. 4. Performance Evaluations and Retraining/Reinforcement are conducted as needed. Training Records and Orientation Training Dates The Human Resources Department was instructed to keep a training record on each trainee. Any classes missed during the Seven Course orientation series would have to be completed prior to the trainee's 90-day probation period. Human Resources would also be responsible for scheduling and informing new team members of their orientation training dates at the time of their hire. Training Manuals and Materials All company training manuals were reviewed and updated. Each trainer was required to submit course training plans for their topics, and request any classroom training equipment required. Human Resources would be responsible to set up classrooms and record attendance. All courses were presented and evaluated by the entire Planning Team for approval prior to the start-up of the first orientation class. Orientation Training Start-Up! We found that our team planning approach not only accomplished our goals of establishing a truly comprehensive orientation program, but it was also an extremely valuable educational process for everyone involved. The first series of courses taught to our new trainees were attended by all of our trainers and our Planning Team, and were evaluated for content in an actual classroom environment. After a little final fine-tuning, our Orientation Training Program was firmly established! Dorothy Gourley, CAPS, is one of Multi-Housing's nationally noted apartment marketing consultants and educational speakers. She specializes in the marketing of new apartment communities, marketing feasibility studies, conversion of affordable apartments to conventional, and solving vacancy problems. This article is a Sales & Marketing Magic exclusive excerpt from Dorothy's newest book, Marketing & Leasing for Occupancy, an encyclopedia of marketing and training ideas published by Apartment Marketing Publications. Dorothy Gourley & Associates is located in Irvine, California, and can be reached at 714-770-3194 or by fax at 714-830-9643. NEW HIRE ORIENTATION A Seven Course Series Course I Course II Course III New Hire Orientation Marketing Leasing Orientation Policy and Personal Handbook Resident Manager / Leasing Training Handbooks Emergency Information W-2 Form Employee Benefits Discrimination, Fair Housing, OSHA, & ADA Competition Shops Developing a Marketing Plan Curb Appeal Models & Vacants Tour Route Leasing Office Professional Appearance The use of Leasing Forms Guest Card Phone Log Brochures Thank You's Personal Goal Setting Shipping Evaluations Discrimination, Fair Housing, OSHA, & ADA Off-site Marketing Neighboring Managers Networking Qualities of a winning leasing presentation Your Appearance Building Rapport The effective use of Guest Cards Telephone Communications Understanding Personality Types Tour Training Creating a Home Atmosphere Dealing with Concerns Closing Opportunities Follow-up Course IV Course V Course VI Course VII Management Administration Financial Management Legal Procedures Maintenance Administration Staff Job Descriptions Performance Appraisals Employee Bonus Programs Payroll Labor Policies Part Time Tax Withholdings Discrimination, Fair Housing, OSHA, & ADA Completing Weekly Paperwork Delinquency Rent Control Log Move-In Paperwork Move-In Procedures Move-In Inspection Smoke Detection Information Move-Out Paperwork Move-Out Procedures Insurance Claim Procedures Bank Deposit Procedures Night Drop Procedures Rent Payment Receipts Normal Payment Partial Payment Prorates Late Charges Delinquent Control Cut-Off Procedures Returned NSF Procedures Collection of NSFs NSF Redeposit Procedures Handling Garage/ Refrigerator/ Furniture Collection Procedures Leasing Buyout Procedures The Payable Cycle Supervision of Vendors Independent Contractors How to Avoid Problems in Processing Payable Purchase Orders Procedures Petty Cash R eimbursement Procedures Spending Limits for Resident Manager/ Property Supervisor Proper Screening of Future Residents   Review of Application   Credit/Background Checks   Interviewing the Future Resident Dealing with Delinquent Rent   3-day Pay or Quits   Legal Fee Charges Other Legal Notice Collection Procedures How to Avoid Lawsuits   Property Liability   Property Incident Reports   Discrimination, Fair Housing, OSHA, & ADA Maintenance Job Description Maintenance Standards On-Site Maintenance Service Call Procedures Seasonal Property Maintenance Schedule Apartment Cleaning Checklist Coordinating Management/ Marketing/ Maintenance Scheduling of Rent Ready Apartments Purchase Order Systems Control Inventory Control a. Supply Rooms b. Offices c. Models d. Equipment Budgets & Spending Limits/Purchasing Tips Laundry Maintenance/ Pool & Spa Daily Maintenance Carpet Replacement Policies Fire Extinguisher Maintenance Safety Training/ Worker's Compensation Discrimination, Fair Housing, OSHA, & ADA Supervising Vendors/ Controlling Vendors costs To read more articles from this author please visit www.smmonline.com. The Sales & Marketing Magic Companies, shares more than 20 years of experience in multifamily housing, encompassing leasing, marketing, management, training, authoring, consulting, developing, and Brainstorming! For more information on Sales & Marketing Magic for Apartment Managers; the latest Tools & Forms Catalogue; The Annual Multifamily Housing Brainstorming Sessions™; or to receive top ideas, FREE, via e-mail, please call 727-784-9469 or visit www.SMMOnline.com.