Archived Training someone in backroom

[asidius]

I'm the backroom trainer and on Tuesday I'll be training someone. I can train someone to close pretty easily (and done it before) but I'm not sure how I can train someone to pull CAFs other than letting him watch me do them.

I'm still trying to brainstorm how I can introduce him to the backroom. I thought about giving him a tour of the backroom first, show where all the aisles are and how they're organized, then going into fillgroups and then introducing backstocking followed by the CAFs. I think this would be ideal since I'm training on an opening shift first.

Any tips?

 

[mrknownothing]

Make sure the TM has a learning plan. It should list everything that's important for the TM to know about working in the backroom.

 

[dave white]

It's pretty fucking tough to train brand new person to the backroom. I was always nagging my HR to have them train on sales floor a couple days then come to the back for bacroom training.

There's a backroom training brochure, make sure they get a copy. Explain to them what a CAF is and why you're pulling it. Let them have a PDA and do what you do on your PDA on theirs for the first couple of CAFs but without letting them scan anything. Show them how the aisles are numbered with the fillgroup and how the numbering/lettering IN the aisle is setup as you pull.

While pulling, explain flex fills, backstock, pushing, etc. After a couple hours of them shadowing you, let them pull a couple batches that are typically small with you over their shoulder.

Also, make sure they know not to step foot in the backroom without a PDA, a walkie and a name badge.

 

[Quattro]

To piggyback off @dave white, tell them don't come in without a PDA/walkie/name badge, and leave their damn phone in their pocket. The amount of information being thrown at backroom trainees is off the charts, so the last thing they should be doing is texting.

 

[SFSFun]

If at all possible, have him work some freight to start off so he will see how to read a pick label and a shelf label and understand why it's important to fill the shelf and 2nd locations to capacity, and how stuff ends up coming to the back as backstock.

Then follow with everything else you mentioned.

If it's not a truck day, then it will probably be easier to wait until after the autofills are pulled before showing him how to work it to the floor.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Thanks @RetailWorld!
On the pick label, there can be a few "indicators" that dictate what to do with the product. On the label, it will be near the "Ad 08/21" in the example. If there is a "P", it means it needs to be pushed out. If there is an "S", it means stage. "B" means it's backstock...and part of the backrooms metrics is making sure that all product that has a "B" indicator gets backstocked. Otherwise your team is being inefficient and taking stuff out to the floor when they don't have to. If your store is a "Push All" store, this is how you tell the difference between what you need to take to the floor and what stays in the back without scanning everything on the line.

With the change to myPerformance though, it could be that this isn't a key metric anymore. I haven't dived into the backroom metrics with myPerformance.

Typically your NOP product will have some kind of info on the pick label that will give you a bit of insight on what's going on with it. If it's on AD, it could be there will be staged off area on the floor...or it could be that the planogram isn't in the system yet, so there will be a T indicator(Transition) with the date letting you know when it will be set. But if it's NOP or D-Code at this point, been in your store for awhile, and it looks like there will be no space or planogram for it in the foreseeable future...mySupport it, and request a CLR markdown on it.

 

[asidius]

Well the start was pretty terrible. After I gave him a tour of the backroom and talked about fill groups, I wasn't sure what to do next so I just ended up teaching him about pulling cafs and batches.

I taught by doing. Having him pull a batch and guiding him, telling him what to do if the item isn't there. He seemed to get the hang of it. I had him pull price change pretty much all by himself and while I was on break, he had pulled 2 flats of research BPLS batches. He ended up pulling grocery and chemical for the 7pm cafs.

I also taught him backstocking, and how to fix errors if you enter in the wrong quantity. I really tried to hammer in fillgroups in his head.

Finally I had him give the wave a spin for a few min.

Things I found difficult to teach:

CAFs. It's hard to explain why you don't want the CAFs to roll over and affect what feels like a meaningless score that they have no business knowing yet. I get the vibe they need to be there when CAFs do roll over to see why it's bad. I'm not going to suddenly let CAFs roll over on purpose though. I want to say "be quick" but right now accuracy is more important.

The sales floor. I thought it would be easy to explain how an aisle is sorted but I was wrong. I can't explain why sections reset back to one, why there is a 1 in the ( ) on the PDA. I also can't explain decimal points (eg. 3-F1-2.90) either.

Things I still have to do:

Teach how to take backroom requests over walkie, use the wave more, make a bale, use the pallet stacker, pallet jack. Suspect Date Audit. Pull things out of flex fulfillment. Pull POGs/SPs. How to check CAF pull times on the computer. Setting the line. I'm probably missing something here.

 

[Quattro]

Honestly, you covered more in the first day than I usually do. Not that I think you did too much. I don't think I cover enough in the first couple days. I'm always terrified that I will scare off new trainees if I try to force too much information in too short a time period.

..maybe not a bad idea. Survival of the fittest. We could stand to prune some of the low-hanging fruit in my back room.

 

[Dekaf]

Typically when I hire new team members I partner them with one of the top 3 performers for the last month. All of my team members are certified to be trainers, but my having top talent; rather then seniority, train team members I've had great results. Top performers tend to be outgoing and passionate, which keeps the New TM motivated and enthusiastic about the process even if it is an overwhelming amount of information.

Typically I'll let the trainers know 2 weeks in advance they'll be training 1-2 team members, it ends up being a mix of opening and closing. They'll have them shadow them for an hour, they'll walk the Backroom explaining fill groups, locations, WACO's, PDA functions, Etc. Anytime a batch drops they pull it together that way they are relatively close if a question comes up. The second shift they work independent of each other, the trainer takes the largest batches and leaves the rest for the trainee.

If it's a TM cross training into the Backroom, I personally train them during my Backroom shifts. I choose team members that are being cross trained (I tend to steal great team members ). They tend to catch on fast, if they seem to have a decent grasp of the concepts, I typically race them for batch pull timeliness.

Race:
Once you enter a batch, no backing out. Pull entire batch. Winner is most batches pulled with lowest time. I typically let them win and buy them Starbucks for dealing with me for 8 hours lol. Keeps them happy and confident in their abilities.

Way longer then I meant to have that, and slightly off course. Essentially, keep them motivated and upbeat. Be patient but challenging to test skill. A stressed and mentally defeated Backroom will destroy a store.

 

[Riffraff]

The above posts have pretty much all covered it.

I've always tried to dole it out in doses over multiple days.

Day 1 I start out small, giving them the tour of the backroom, explaining fillgroups and basic organization, teach them how to log into the PDA and find and use crucial apps like STO and pulling batches. I'll have them shadow me while I pull a few batches and explain what I'm doing to them, then I'll switch and shadow them while they pull batches and help them through it. Once they start to get the hang of it, then I'll let them pull a couple batches on their own, while I pull batches nearby (usually an adjacent aisle if possible), checking in on them regularly. Similarly with backstocking I do the same. They shadow me, then I shadow them, then I just work alongside them, letting them do it on their own with me nearby for support.

Day 2 I'll gauge how well they absorbed things the first day, and throw in a bit more. I used to make SUBT a priority when it was still in RF, but with it moved into All Apps, its a bit more confusing for them to remember where it was, so I stick with RF apps, and explain more about the various types of pulls, pull timelines, how backroom ties into the workload of other workcenters, etc. and just generally try to let them get more comfortable with the core part of the process.

Things like equipment training, Suspect Date Audit, Flex, guest requests will be thrown in when I feel like they are ready to take that information.

If staffing is an issue (at Target? no way!), then sometimes my hand is forced and I have to dump a lot more on them in a much shorter time period, and play the sink or swim game. But I don't like to do things this way at all.

 

[mrknownothing]

If staffing is an issue (at Target? no way!)

Fixed it for you.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

http://www.thebreakroom.org/index.php?forums/logistics.21/

 

[instockout]

so im only an instocks trainer, but i trained my trainee backroom, because we are back there a lot. also taught him how to pull cafs, because we usually pull the elevens. i taught him how to pull while pulling the research/exf batches we shot. they were smaller batches, and not as heavy of a time frame. it was a decent learning process. even if the trainee isn't the best of employees.

 

[Sweet Pea]

There's a backroom training brochure, make sure they get a copy.

Where can I get one of these???

 

[Yetive]

Time machine.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Where can I get one of these???

No longer available. Go on workbench under training.

 

[allnew2]

I'm the backroom trainer and on Tuesday I'll be training someone. I can train someone to close pretty easily (and done it before) but I'm not sure how I can train someone to pull CAFs other than letting him watch me do them.

I'm still trying to brainstorm how I can introduce him to the backroom. I thought about giving him a tour of the backroom first, show where all the aisles are and how they're organized, then going into fillgroups and then introducing backstocking followed by the CAFs. I think this would be ideal since I'm training on an opening shift first.

Any tips?

What about audits , and flex fills and getting items for guest .

 

[EchoFoxtrot]

Make sure the TM has a learning plan. It should list everything that's important for the TM to know about working in the backroom.

I need to just do this. I'm gonna just write down a learning plan and copy it off every time I need to train someone for backstocking and backroom. I always feel bad because I rush to train them since I have a shit ton to do and they always need help and the help they get is not always great advice. Just other salesfloor Tms giving them advice on how to backstock and half the time it's improper or lazy teaching. This end to end process right as Q4 hits is trial by fire and a LOT of my staff is burning out rather than staying and pushing through it. Even had 3 of our key truck pushers switch to cashier. Damn you gotta hate the new process a lot to switch to cashiering exclusively. If anyone corporate sees this: Backroom liked backstocking and salesfloor liked pushing and truck liked getting shit done by 3pm at latest most days. You flipped our teams upside down in the worst part of the year. Enjoy how it turns out and guess what?: FUCK YOUR SHAREHOLDERS LOL they can eat a dick

 

[EchoFoxtrot]

sorry did I say fuck the share holders? man I hope they all choke on thanksgiving dinner I dont give a fuck about them at all lol it's my job to do my job and making sales for millionaires is fine but being told to do more than one persons worth of work is ridiculous and demeaning...fuuuuuck that enjoy your passive income and stop being greedy fucks you morons I swear if I could just rob one of these millionaire pieces of shit I'd be happy just doing it with no profit. Fuck I hate Q4 lol my bad