The Role of the Internal Trainer at Euro24
Working in the dispatch department of a transportation company is undoubtedly an exciting but challenging task, especially for those who are new to the job. There is much to learn – from customer service (where we approach each client individually), to constant and meticulous control of orders, and assisting drivers with difficulties they may encounter in their daily work.
To streamline the onboarding process for new employees at Euro24, the role of an internal trainer in the monitoring department has been created, which I have the pleasure of performing alongside my basic dispatcher duties. In this article, I would like to briefly present the most important functions and tasks of this role. See the video with English subtitles.
A Golden Assistant
The amount of knowledge thrust upon a new employee can be overwhelming, so as an internal trainer, I seek ways to facilitate the onboarding process.
Despite the dynamic nature of the transportation industry, there are certain things that recur consistently. As a mentor for new employees, I gather these pieces of information and transfer them to paper (usually virtual), thereby creating training materials. These so-called “assistants” contain a wealth of knowledge on the topics we deal with daily, as well as useful information – such as customer contacts, colleagues, transit times for specific routes and their descriptions, guides on customs clearance, and coordinates for loading, unloading, and hard-to-find locations for drivers.
Of course, every such “assistant” has an expiration date, and some information may become outdated or require an update, so it must be continuously updated and supplemented according to trends.
Positive feedback from monitoring department employees, regarding increased work efficiency thanks to the introduced “guides,” confirms my belief in the effectiveness of this type of knowledge compendium.
The Key is a Good Plan: Systematized Training
A proper training plan is essential when onboarding a new employee. A thorough and well-thought-out introduction is the key to future success, so I try to tailor the intensity of training to each individual. Above all, it is important to establish common goals at the outset and outline the entire process to newcomers.
A person who knows what they will be doing each week can properly prepare, reduce stress, and focus better on current tasks in a given area. Organized training also impacts the speed of knowledge acquisition, as the employee knows what to focus on at each stage and what can be addressed later. Every person is different, so the training process varies. Some people prefer to solve tasks independently from the beginning, while others are cautious throughout the process and need support in making more difficult decisions. Therefore, it is essential to approach each employee individually, and although everyone is trained according to a specific scheme, it is adapted to their needs.
Discover, practice, improve, repeat.
I could compare the disposition team to a living organism, in which each dispatcher is a single cell, and the whole operates properly only when all elements are “healthy”. Mutual motivation, helping each other, and, above all, constant communication are the main pillars of the team; they are an integral part of our work and something that should become a habit for every disposition employee. Unfortunately, even the smallest mistake or unpassed information can result in a transport not being executed correctly, which, of course, affects further cooperation with a given client.
No one is infallible; mistakes happen to everyone in every field, regardless of the length of employment or experience, and the principle – “man learns from mistakes” is entirely normal for a dispatcher’s position. We learn the job here from our own and our colleagues’ stumbling blocks.
One of my tasks is also to identify and analyze irregularities and implement corrective plans. Each error must be analyzed and determined whether it was the result of a lack of knowledge on a given topic, incorrect interpretation of an event, distraction, or something else.
A one-time mistake can happen to anyone, but when an error repeats, it is necessary to react appropriately, talk, perhaps explain something anew, and make the person feel confident in what they do.
Effective, organized, and well-thought-out training of a new employee translates into their faster onboarding and independence in performing their tasks, and a feedback culture reduces the risk of making mistakes. The training process does not have to be tedious; thanks to a properly designed development path, employees have the opportunity to thoroughly and stress-free familiarize themselves with every issue.
