Collector turnover. It's a universal issue for many, if not all, agencies. Escalating workloads, increasing competition and ever tightening resources are driving agencies to adopt a cycle of hiring "on-the-fly". This practice may provide immediate, short-term relief but if you are not hiring the right type of people in the first place, you're most likely going to lose them as quickly as you've hired them.

At the 2007 Art of Success conference, Dan Steinman of the Steinman Consulting Group discussed what agencies can do to slow down the revolving door. According to Steinman, many organizations make the mistake of focusing their efforts on hiring experienced collectors or rehiring past employees. Although there are many upsides to this, experienced collectors may not necessarily make the best employees. Those that understand and embrace the company culture with the right attitude and willingness to work as a team will yield far more positive outcomes in the long run than employees with years of industry experience or technology knowledge.

Furthermore, agencies should take a deep, honest assessment of their corporate culture, and make sure that their values and principles are reflected across the entire organization from hiring to training to sales to marketing. This is especially critical in the hiring and training stages when employees are first exposed to the inner-workings of the agency.

Training programs introduce new hires to the company culture, values, standards, and policies. More importantly, it sets a tone for what is expected out of each and every employee. Effective training sessions serve as a solid foundation for longterm success. If your organization has found a great candidate, make sure and invest the time and resources to implement an effective training program. If you're unsure as to how to go about developing a program, take a look at the following steps:

What:

• Identify company culture
• Determine company policies & procedures
• Provide introduction to collection industry and key players
• Educate on current laws
• Provide technology overview and training

Who:

• Identify the best person to present each element

When:

• Identify order of presentation and how long each session will last

Where:

• Determine best place to conduct the session

How:

• Break up sessions into work groups
• Reinforce materials through hands-on exercise, role playing, or test quizzes 

Assess if the training programs are successful by spot-checking sessions, getting feedback from employees on a consistent basis, and conducting exit interviews.

Reducing collector turnover does not have to do with hiring skilled or experienced professionals, but rather hiring people with positive attitudes that are dedicated and reliable. Organizations with strong and solid values can create a culture that attracts like-minded people. Whether you've been in the business for 20 years or two months, know the six P's of training: proper preparation and practice prevent poor performance.

Make it a point to continually strive for improvements in your training so that your employees know you're committed to their overall growth and success as much as they are committed to your organization.