- 04 February 2008 -
Converting a ‘Worker’ into a ‘Supervisor’
By Bert Sherwood, Sherwood Business Management Corp., sherwoodbj@aol.com
(This month’s column is inspired by a reader inquiry.)

Q: Our 45-person precious metals plating shop does precision plating for the aerospace, electronics and computer industries. I guess we are one of the few surface finishing job shops that has not been negatively impacted by the loss of manufacturing to China. We are having difficulty in hiring leadpeople and supervisors to replace those lost to attrition and retirement. But, hard to believe, competent applicants are almost impossible to find. Are we better off hiring new people or trying to train our own people?

Thanks,
–B. W. in Florida

A: Lucky you! You are among the rare job shops reporting acceptable levels of business. Having to hire people is a refreshing new problem. Since you are having difficulty in finding experienced people, I suggest going on a two-track path.

First, don’t give up on the conventional route of advertising in the newspapers and trade magazines. Second (my preferred choice), under the circumstances you described, is to recruit new leadpeople and supervisors from current employees. Selecting and training them will require persistence and time. It may take training five to yield one good one. The big advantage of converting your worker to a leadperson or supervisor is that they know the company’s procedures and personnel. The long-term indoctrination or probation time mandatory for a new employee is unnecessary.

I must warn you: Do not assume that all of your current workers are incapable of learning to supervise; assuming that they are not smart enough is a common misconception. Selecting a trainee requires observation and communication. A probable candidate is one who is asked questions and is asked for guidance by fellow workers—on both work and social matters. For example, this person determines where the group eats lunch, what they discuss, and where they go for recreation after work. Simply stated, that individual is a natural leader.

Another step in the right direction is to privately ask the potential candidate if he or she would like to improve his or her position. Only the most ambitious will respond with a “yes.” Others will prefer to stay at their present level rather than become a boss. They may be uncomfortable with the possibility of assuming authority. In short, they may just want to remain one of the gang.

Another clue to potential supervisors or leadpeople is that they are capable of following detailed and complex directions. They will probably be able to give directions to others. Once a candidate is chosen, it is important to test this concept by taking the following training steps:

1. Explain what you expect him or her to do, e.g., give instructions to subordinates.
2. Have him watch you do it.
3. Have him do it while you watch.
4. Make corrections.
5. Have them perform under observation.
6. If success is the result, have them repeat without observation.
7. Check back later to determine the results.

The trainer must be a competent manager or supervisor capable of training. Do not turn the trainee over to an inexperienced supervisor. This is the easiest path but the least productive.

If you have managers/supervisors capable of training individuals, have them establish classes for small groups. (See the Sherwood Business Management Corp. do-it-yourself “Supervisory Training Workbook” detailed in the classified advertising section of the latest edition of Metal Finishing.) As a final alternative, if you can afford the fees, hire an experienced consultant to conduct supervisory training sessions on site.

Bert J. Sherwood, M. S. in Ch. E., of Sherwood Business Management Corp. has provided business and technical advice to surface finishing and manufacturing companies for 20 years. He can be reached at sherwoodbj@aol.com.