We have all heard of the importance to provide our new employees with a like-kind training environment. This ensures each new employee is presented with the same training opportunities in a structured and detailed format. Regardless of their previous experiences, all will go through the same training format.
That’s supposed to be what happens. In reality, I have heard and observed many agencies “adjust” their training programs to suit a particular need. For example, an agency hires a lateral. The decision is made to put the lateral through an accelerated “training period.” This is done because the expectation is that they have already been doing the job, therefore should be able to “hit the street” with an abbreviated training period. I am not suggesting every lateral needs to go through a twelve-week training program. What I am suggesting is that we need to be sure to provide each new employee and lateral with the same training opportunity.
So, what about the evaluations? Why do they need to be written in a consistent manner? On day one, first hour of every FTO class I teach, I ask the same question. Does anyone here have someone on their department they know should not be there. In every class without fail several hands go up. I ask, why? How did they get there? The usual answer – The Administration.
Then we discuss the Daily Observation Report (DOR). After some debate, a common theme is one FTO’s evaluation will paint a picture of an incompetent employee, where another FTO does not see any issues with the employee. So, what is the “Admin” left with? Supposedly the employee has gone through the same training program, has received like-kind training, yet two or maybe three FTOs see things completely different. The Admin has documentation stating to keep the employee and documentation to terminate the employee. What to do –
In many circumstances the Admin will elect to keep the employee for a variety of reasons. Costs, the hope with additional time on the job the employee will improve, not wanting to deal with termination with inconsistent documentation, hoping there will never be an issue. To quote an attorney friend of mine, this will “never be an issue until it is an issue, then it will be an issue.”
Field Training Opportunities specializes in the instruction and use of the San Jose Model. Ourforty-hour Basic Field Training Officer Class not only prepares the student on how to be an effective trainer but emphasizes the need for each FTO to have a thorough understanding of their training program and application of the evaluation standards.
Field Training Opportunities specializes in the:
- Instruction and use of the San Jose Model
- Forty Hour Basic Field Training Class
- Preparation of the student to be an effective trainer/evaluator
- Emphasizing the need for each FTO to have a thorough understanding of their training program
- Application of the Standardize Evaluation Guidelines