Editor’s Note:
We work hard to ensure every individual who joins our team is set up for success. Our HR, IT, and Training Management teams work hard to get our newest employees up to speed and ingrained in Terakeet’s culture as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Read below to hear Outreach Training Manager Collin Kohberger explain what new employees can expect from the onboarding and training process at Terakeet.
When a new employee starts at Terakeet, they begin a sophisticated training program to get up to speed as effectively as possible. Typically, this includes a two-week, extensive training that includes basic company information, industry education, mentor shadow sessions, and skill-specific training, as well as cultural opportunities to connect with coworkers. It also includes an extended learning program after those first two weeks that supports new employees as they begin hands-on work.
Outreach Training Manager Collin Kohberger recently walked us through the onboarding process and gave his tips for training success, from connecting with mentors to feeling comfortable asking questions.
What can someone expect when they first start at Terakeet?
You’ll be taken care of. We’re thinking about what you need every day to be caught up to speed effectively, so your schedule has been planned very purposefully and catered to your specific position. We try to book out the first two weeks for new employees so they’re never just sitting there wondering what they should be doing.
You’ll learn a lot that you didn’t know before coming to Terakeet. Everyone starts with a blank slate to learn our specific strategies and applications.
You’ll also meet a lot of intelligent people and get to know a personal mentor. They’ll be your one-on-one liaison if you have questions or need clarification and help walk you through the ins and outs of the training program.
What can a new employee do to be successful in training?
I tell all my new hires that inquisitiveness is the most important thing. No matter how much I think about our training program, there will be things that I can’t plan for. People who raise their hand and ask for help and care about understanding before moving on are going to come out of the program the most prepared.
What recommendations do you have for a new hire to connect with their mentor?
The more comfortable you are with each other, the more likely you’ll feel comfortable asking questions. Take some time to not talk about work for a little bit. It’s so important in helping develop that relationship.
How has training changed since the pandemic?
It has changed very little. The main difference is that we’re looking at each other through a computer instead of across a table. We just had to find that human element and add it in wherever we could to try to make up for not seeing each other as often as we normally would.
We added things like new hire lunches with people across the company to replicate those “water cooler” moments. We also scheduled more mentor shadowing time to replace that feeling of being able to lean over to your mentor’s desk to ask a question.
Do you educate new employees on the industry?
Yes. Our work is so specific and unique that we recognize the need to educate our new employees. The extent to which we educate depends on the role, but we know that getting smart, talented people with role-related experience in the door is more valuable than worrying about their level of specific technical knowledge. We can train on that side of things.
What is the extended learning program?
The extended learning program is an opportunity for us to add more advanced material that is a little less high-level than the initial training, something someone who’s been here for six weeks would be able to better understand than someone who’s been here for six days. It helps us deliver all the necessary information intentionally and at scale.
Interested in joining our team? Visit our Openings page to discover opportunities that work for you.