Fact: You're doing more with fewer people and younger people.
Fact: You can't manage Gen X, Y and Zers like you did young talent in the 90s.
Fact: No matter how well you manage them, you'll still have 35-50% turnover annually.
Fact: If you can't ramp them up faster, they'll be gone by the time they're valuable.
Fact: Either you build a training culture in your newsroom, or you die.

Hiring Newbies

Focus on your impressions during the interview. Not after the hire. Is she smart? Does she communicate clearly and quickly? Is she curious? If yes...

Don't rush the hire. Instead, specify the level of performance you'll expect by when. Ask her what she'll need from you to do that. Hint: listen carefully to her answer.

Training Newbies

Explain the rules of the house personally. Young players tend to have little or no newsroom experience. Teach her your house language (V-Plas, OTS, FSQ, etc.) Show her who does what and when, deadlines for script scripts and tapes, liveshot procedures. Tell her how to interact with the assignment desk and show producers. Explain how her day will work. Send her on a ride along with your best reporter.

Attend to basic skills first. You don't do a Newbie any favors by assuming she has knowledge or skills she doesn't. So, first find out how she thinks, writes, cuts a voice track, interviews, and reports in the street and live. Begin your tutelage from there. (You may find it helpful to assess her strengths and weakness with The Coaching Company's Performance Evaluator at www.coachingcompany.com/tv.)

Begin with story development. How she thinks through a story is everything. Everything. Help her think about:

Separating the news hook (why we're doing this story today) from the compelling angle (why this story actually matters). The hook creates immediacy. The angle provides the power.

Writing compelling leads. Without one, the customer doesn't pay attention and rightfully so: the story isn't there! Tip: while they're in the field, ask your Newbies to tease their stories for you. A reporter who can't tease her story doesn't understand her story. (Note: this isn't a problem limited to your Newbies.)

Coaching Newbies

Focus her on one performance skill weekly. Coaching is a progressive process. Thinking about more than a few recommendations at a time is difficult for talent at any skill level. Here are the top five Recommendations The Coaching Company makes to Newbies:

1) Pay attention to cosmetics, cut your hair, and dress the part. Enough said?

2) Lower your volume without lowering your energy level. Tell them the viewer's ear is not on the camera, but is either on their lapel (lav) or at their lips (stick mic).

3) Speak more slowly. Newbies tend to speak too fast for TV. Be sure that when they slow down, they sound alert and engaged.

4) Move your face and body authentically. When Newbies speak lower and slower, they occasionally flat line their physical performances.

4) Write for emphasis, speak with emphasis. Number One Newbie Giveaway: poor or improper emphases in VO tracks.

Provide her with constant feedback. Once a day, if possible. Praise as specifically as you criticize. As soon as your Newbie nears your expectations, raise the bar. "Great start", you say. "Now, here's where we're going next!"

For more conversation about the care and feeding of Newbies, contact Dennis Kendall or Tony Martinez.