Training: Teach Your Employees Well

IT Authorities
(No. 1 Small)

Jason Caras, CEO of IT Authorities in Tampa, isn’t interested in recruiting the most technically savvy people in the job market. Instead, he looks for other traits in new recruits — “outgoingness, drive, ambition, positiveness, being goal-oriented.” Once on board, employees are initiated into the IT Authorities University, where topics range from professional speaking and body language to discipline, health and financial planning. Workers are also encouraged to check out books from the company’s library. Caras says every new hire must read “Nuts! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success” by Kevin Freiberg and Jackie Freiberg. Other required reading includes “The Google Story” by David Vise and Mark Malseed, and many of the works of business philosopher Jim Rohn and motivational speaker Tony Robbins. “We read books about companies we want to model ourselves after,” says Caras.

AppRiver
(No. 4 Midsized)

At AppRiver, a software services provider in Gulf Breeze, employees, known as “Appers” head to “AppRiver University” as soon as they’re hired to learn the company’s culture. The highlight of the weeklong training: A scavenger hunt that has the newcomers combing AppRiver’s offices to ask employees questions, find out where things are and learn company lore. The university also offers ongoing training courses to all employees targeted at both technical and professional skills. In addition to the new-hire orientation, course offerings include several technical certificates ranging from Microsoft to Blackberry training.

AgencyNet
(No. 18 Small)

Digital advertising and marketing agency AgencyNet in Fort Lauderdale provides employees with a career enrichment fund to use as desired on software, books, conference registration, educational courses, tuition and travel expenses. The company also relies on internal training sessions and conferences to work on technological skills, team-building and project management.

Brightway Insurance
(No. 7 Small)

In April, Jacksonville-based Brightway Insurance opened “Brightway University,” a separate training facility for new employees. Each new hire in Brightway offices from Miami to Tallahassee comes to Jacksonville for one to four weeks to attend Brightway U. Courses range from technology to an introduction to the company’s “culture of excellence.” Some of the company’s 100 or so carriers train new hires on the products they’ll be selling. “Our goal is to be the best-quality alternative in the marketplace, and that means the best-trained people,” says Brightway CEO David Miller.

LexJet
(No. 41 Midsized)

At LexJet in Sarasota, new sales team hires aren’t allowed to talk to customers until they’ve completed two months of 8-to-5 training. “It’s everything from learning about the product to general business practices,” says LexJet marketing director Camillia Mankovich. The company also offers regular training sessions and refreshers on an as-needed basis.

Shared Technologies
(No. 2 Midsized)

Shared Technologies, a data systems installer with offices in Clearwater, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, will spend about $1 million this year on training. The company’s sales force, engineers and managers attend sales and management training at the company’s corporate office in Texas or webinars pertinent to the products they are selling/supporting. Other employees receive additional training through a combination of online training, self-study and vendor/partner technical training at various locations. While the company has had to cut back some on instructor-led classes during these tough economic times, it has partnerships with various manufacturers and vendors to allow employees to take online courses. Shared Technologies also provides up to $5,000 per year in tuition reimbursement for training/education that the company says will benefit its general business.