Though it may be a bit of an awkward job title, a trainee trainer is someone who works with newly hired people in order to teach them how to do their jobs correctly. Many employers find that having an individual work one-on-one with new hires is the most effective, as well as time- and money-efficient, way to train. It allows the trainee to get on-the-job experience from day one, as well as to develop positive working relationships with the trainer and other employees. It is important for a trainee trainer to legitimately enjoy working with people, and to have extensive knowledge of his or her job in order to pass that knowledge on to others.
It generally takes a bit of time for someone to become qualified to be a trainee trainer. Anyone who wants to work as a trainer will usually need to have at least have a few months to a few years of working experience in the job. If the individual is excelling in his or her position, management may ask then her if she would be interested in training new hires. This extra responsibility often comes with a slight pay raise, and some jobs will provide a bit of extra education in how to successfully teach others.
The trainee trainer will then be assigned to work independently with new employees, typically from the first day they start work. The specific tasks that he or she teaches will vary depending on the nature of the job and the work environment, but most will begin with a general overview of the company, as well introducing the new employee to his or her coworkers. The trainee might then shadow the trainer as he or she works for the first few days, simply observing and learning. After a short period of time, the trainee might then begin doing the job himself, under the supervision of the trainer, and asking questions as needed. This process will vary somewhat depending on the complexity of the job.
The amount of time that the trainee trainer will work with the new employee will also vary widely. In many cases, especially for office jobs, it is about two weeks, though, often divided into one week of observation and one week of supervised work. After this amount of time, the trainee is usually ready to perform his or her job tasks on her own, and is likely to be much less nervous and apprehensive about starting the job. This can help increase the retention rate at a company as well.
