I'm hiring my first junior analyst and need to build a training plan. She has a finance degree but zero utility experience. How long does it take to train someone to do basic bill analysis, and what's the best sequence to teach the skills?
Hiring my first analyst — training plan?
I've trained three analysts. My approach: Week 1-2, have them read tariff books for your top 5 utilities and take notes. No bill analysis yet — just learning rate structures. Week 3-4, shadow you on active audits and explain your thought process out loud. Week 5-6, have them do data entry and preliminary screening on accounts you've already audited, then compare their findings to yours. Week 7-8, give them a new account to audit independently with your review. By month 3 they should be handling routine audits with minimal supervision. Complex accounts take 6-12 months of experience.
Phil's timeline is realistic. I'd add one thing: start with the simplest error types and work toward complex ones. Rate classification is the easiest to teach — compare the tariff eligibility criteria to the client's usage profile. Tax exemption status is also straightforward. Demand charge analysis is intermediate. Power factor, rider verification, and meter accuracy are advanced topics that take months to master. Don't try to teach everything at once. Let your analyst build confidence with simple finds before tackling complex ones.
Best investment I ever made was hiring an analyst. Took about 4 months before she was fully productive but now she handles 60% of the analytical work. The key is patience during the training period — you'll spend more time teaching than working for the first 2 months. It pays off enormously after that.
This is a great roadmap. Starting with tariff reading makes a lot of sense — she needs to understand the rates before she can spot the errors. Kicking off training Monday.