Where do we draw the line?

[blas]

So everyone on here knows about my "incidents" with trainees like DipShit and more recently, Daddy DipShit. Surely these won't be the last ones, either. Hopefully I will be able to quit being a trainer soon, but until then.....I want to ask...

Where do we draw the line? I mean, where do we cut it off as no longer being my responsibility and my problem? When I have a trainee like one of those two, who pretty much basically refused to listen to me and learn.....is it really still my responsibility to keep trying to get them to listen, or am I within my rights to say something to the boss and try to get them assigned somewhere else? Or, like with Daddy DipShit, I told my boss that since DD decided he'd no longer be trained by me, I would not waste another minute with him.

I think there's a little too much BS where I work when it comes to training. If you all remember, Dickhead the room runner called me a "failure" when it was apparent that DipShit was not going to be progressing at all. Other people have preached at me that it was MY responsibility to look inside myself and see what I'M doing wrong that's causing them to act that way. Because yes, it's all MY fault.

Where do we draw the line?

[myswtghst]

I'm not sure I'll be able to pinpoint where the line should be drawn, but I absolutely will agree with you, Blas. We've had numerous instances in my workplace of people I'm shocked made it through interviews, let alone the first round of training. One current employee actually was so far behind and so unsure during calls that they had to delay the second round of training an extra week, even though the other 4 scheduled for the training are more than ready, just to try to catch her up.

I think things have gotten to a point with political correctness and that type of nonsense where people are so worried about discrimination and lawsuits that they let people practically get away with murder before they can be transferred or fired. Sometimes, no amount of time and coaching will fix a problem, especially if the employee is just not capable of doing the job. And to pretend otherwise is a waste of time and money.

I don't think you're in the wrong at all - if it becomes apparent that you are not going to be able to train a trainee, especially when it is through no fault of your own, the trainee should be reassigned. If, after working with another trainer, it becomes apparent that said trainee still has no clue, and might even be a hazard in the workplace, he or she should be let go.

I do think part of where the line should be drawn should be on the shoulders of the employee - are they self-motivated and hard-working? Are they trying their best and looking for new ways to succeed? Or are they lazy and content with failure, as it makes their "job" easier to do while still getting paid? Because that makes a huge difference as to whether someone will actually become a worthwhile employee.

I've had trainers I didn't get, trainers I disliked, and trainers I just didn't get along with, or even respect. But I've always been motivated enough and wanted to do my best, that I found a way to learn the material being trained - either on my own time or by asking other people for help. And I've always kept in mind that no matter how I feel about the trainer, they've been down that road before and know better than I what knowledge is needed to succeed. So I suck it up - and because of all that, I am a good employee, and worth the occasional ADD moments during training.

/My 2 cents (or maybe a few pennies more )

[wagegoth]

Blas, it sounds like there's not a good system at your job to document progress of trainees. There should be weekly progress meetings, and the supervisors should be listening seriously to their trainers' opinions of the trainees.

Also, the supervisors should be down with the trainees, taking over the problem trainees for a few hours to see the issues for themselves. It sounds too much like they just don't want to deal.

The company looks at people like cogs, easily replaced by another cog, and there should be no reason a person can't do the job. But they obviously aren't allowing for the fact that some people don't really want to work, don't like working, have done drugs to the point their brain cells can't handle the work, or, frankly, just aren't set up mentally to do production work. Instead of accepting the fact that there will be failure and accepting that 10% or 20% will fail, they'd rather blame the trainers.

Personally, in your type of work, if the trainee is not getting it, I don't mean perfect, but is not on their way, in two weeks, then I'd be looking to replace them. Two weeks at just about any job is usually enough to see if the person is going to fit in and be trainable.

[blas]

We do have meetings, although you are quite correct, wagegoth. They don't want to talk about nor deal with lack of progress or problems. Meetings are only about new things we're doing, new processes or updates on hiring. Any time I've tried to bring something up, I've been cut off....every time I'd go to my boss about DipShit, I'd get a "You're doing fine, just keep trying your best and I will talk to the temp lady" or whatever.......

No one will have any right to get upset once I am finally able to demote myself, whether I get the day shift job or am able to get the regular 3rd shift job (I know, I already work 3rd shift, I'm just being a smartass). No one will have any right to get angry or disappointed with me for not wanting to do this anymore. It's too much bullshit for what it's worth. And the other trainers rarely have to deal with this crap.