Getting your new employees up to speed is challenging and might even be harder than recruiting and hiring those new employees. Many of the locksmiths we’ve heard from are not necessarily looking for experienced new hires, but instead are hunting potential workers with some mechanical aptitude and plenty of willingness to learn. This can be a great first job, with lots of room for advancement down the road.

Sure, it’s great to find an experienced locksmith looking for a new position, and it would be nice to send new hires off to pricey locksmith training programs and all the tradeshows. But that’s not always realistic for small businesses trying to stay in the black. How about supplementing your on-the-job training with some videos and webinars?

There’s a whole lot of online training out there, some of it good but much of it questionable at best. You have to consider the source, keeping in mind that anyone and everyone can start a YouTube channel and a Facebook, Instagram or TikTok account. There are no secrets in our industry anymore; Google can show everyone ways to pick or defeat most locks. It’s the wild, wild West out there, with lock picking considered a sport by some.

In partnership with ACE instructor Wayne Winton, Locksmith Ledger wants to help. We’ve launched our Back to the Basics series, pairing print magazine articles with some outstanding how-to videos, aimed at training new locksmiths. Check out the first installment, How to Rekey a Pin Tumbler Lock Cylinder, and stay tuned for the next installment, How to Shim a Lock Cylinder, in our October issue and online at www.locksmithledger.com. Let us know if there are some specific topics we can address.

We also have a variety of installation articles and videos from Winton, including a two-part series on installing Schlage AD Series locks for a large school system and a similar two-part series on installing the LCN 6400 Compact automatic door operator.

In fact, why not schedule one lunch hour a month for your staff to watch some online training? A couple of pizzas and some soft drinks is all it would cost, and it might spur some great discussions.

Also, don’t overlook manufacturers and distributors. They are a good source of shorter, product-specific videos, especially helpful if they are demonstrating how to install or service the model you are about to see in the field.

-- Emily Pike