This article was originally published in a sponsored newsletter.
You’ve just welcomed a new team member to your eye care practice and you’re excited to get them started. You have high hopes for their success, but soon, disappointment begins to creep in. They're not picking things up as quickly as you expected, even though they’ve shadowed your team and watched your compliance videos.
There are a few problems with this kind of training approach: For one, these introductory compliance videos and shadowing sessions often lack structure and standardization. Additionally, your new hire’s success might rely too heavily on the team members who are doing the training (and who likely did not receive proper training for that responsibility). When you onboard this way, new employees can feel lost and unsure of their role, and their job satisfaction and performance can be negatively impacted.
Our focus must shift to training that helps new hires feel confident and competent as quickly as possible. Consumer-facing team members must understand their responsibilities enough to feel comfortable in front of patients. A great way to ensure this happens is to do the upfront work in creating a standardized training manual or playbook.
What is this work and how do we do it? Start by "devising clear training objectives and develop a structured curriculum that includes both theoretical and practical components," suggests Cheryl Moore, Director of Human Resources at GPN. "Provide opportunities for hands-on practice and feedback to reinforce learning. Be sure to tailor your program to your employees' specific needs and learning styles to train them most effectively. Finally, evaluate the effectiveness of the training program by using assessments and surveys to identify areas for improvement and ensure employees are equipped with the skills they need to succeed in their roles."
You can accomplish this by using screen recording tools. Over the last few years, these tools have become much easier to use, even for practice owners who may not be tech-savvy. Tools like Snagit or Loom let you record a window on your screen while simultaneously capturing video, voice or both.
Consider, for example, the process of training a new employee on submitting a VSP claim. This task involves learning a range of specific terms, numbers and details that must be checked carefully. Typically, new hires read VSP documentation and watch a current employee complete the process. They can take notes—or not—and then ask questions as they try to navigate the task on their own.
Observation and asking questions are okay, but let’s imagine a new training paradigm. Choose a few types of VSP submissions—such as "Exam Only," "Exam and Contact Lenses," "Exam and Glasses" and "Glasses Only," along with examples that involve PALs and single vision. As you go through your day, you can record and narrate the process of submitting each type step-by-step, demonstrating the specific procedures you want your new hires to follow. These recordings serve as both initial training and a handy reference for new hires to consult whenever they need a refresher.
You should also have a consistent “Practice Way” rather than several methods that might differ depending on who is doing each process. To find your practice way, have all team members who are currently handling VSP submissions review or create their own training video. Are they all following the same process? Is there a best practice or tip someone has discovered that should be included? Recording additional videos is cost-free, so you can update and refine your training materials as often as needed.
We can learn from large organizations like Zappos and Walmart that use similar digital training methods: Zappos' approach has led to higher employee retention, while Walmart has seen improved efficiency and reduced training costs.
Whenever I create training videos or conduct in-person training on a new topic, I like to start by explaining why we are doing specific processes, who the processes impact and how each process ties into the overall business goals. Understanding these elements creates a stronger sense of internal motivation than merely doing a task "because the boss said so."
Another advantage of recording these videos is that, over time, you build a comprehensive video playbook for your practice. As turnover or practice growth occurs, the training process becomes more streamlined, and you can review your video library periodically to ensure it remains relevant and effective. I’ve often heard practice owners say of their staff’s processes, “I didn’t even know they were still doing that." But when you can see what your team is being trained on and how they’re being trained, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page and make adjustments when they aren’t.
By adopting a proactive and structured approach to training, you not only empower new hires to do their best work, but you also foster a culture of continuous improvement and engagement within your practice. The benefits—enhanced job satisfaction, consistency and overall efficiency—are well worth the investment.
