A Story About Being Willing To Teach

Have you seen the job openings that require some-odd years of experience? It seems like almost any job I see that's not meant for high-schoolers requires experience. The question I always wonder is... where are they supposed to get that experience? Someone, somewhere has to be willing to train green recruits. And how many companies are missing out on great employees because they don't want to take the time to train people?

I know a young man who was looking for a job in the trades after high school. He got a lead that was in welding. This young man - we'll call him Jay - had used a welder a few times but was by no means proficient. Going into the interview, he told the company that he didn't really know how to weld but he was eager and willing to learn. They had him come in for an interview and weld test. Before that, his dad showed him and taught him a few more things but Jay went in with barely any knowledge. 

Unsurprisingly, they said that they could not hire him for the weld line, but they really liked him and would he like to work on their assembly line to start and they would train him in welding on breaks? Jay said yes.

Jay is a hard worker and has a willingness to be taught. He quickly picked up what they were teaching him and soon was welding things on his own. He never actually joined the weld line but in almost three years, he is working in a department that builds the tools the rest of the shop needs to do their jobs and is the lead in that department. The company loves him. He had not been there long before they asked him if he had any brothers. They told him that they'd hire anyone else like him.

The original job that Jay applied for wanted a welder with experience. Jay didn't have that but they saw something in him that they liked and decided that they wanted to take the time to train him. And boy, are they glad they did!

What if they had said, "You're not qualified for this position so see you later!" They'd have missed out on one of their best employees!

I wonder how many great employees companies miss out on because they won't or don't want to train them. Is it easier to have someone who knows exactly what they're doing and you can just leave on their own? Sure. But how many people like that are out there, really? How many people don't apply for a job because they don't have the experience but would be a great fit with just a little training?

Some jobs might need to be filled with a hit-the-ground-running employee. But I think many more don't. Or maybe there are times when a company needs someone ready to go and other times they have some more leeway and could train. However, I believe there is a spirit of laziness on the part of employers who don't want to take that time.

Okay, so what do you think? Do you think more companies should take time to train inexperienced employees? Or do you think that it is fair to require experience for most positions?



Top photo by PTTI EDU on Unsplash
Bottom photo by KOBU Agency on Unsplash