On-the-job training won't cut it any more, experts say.

Today's case managers need far more than on-the-job training to understand the complexities of the job and all of the tasks they must do on a daily basis. The length and content of the training must be geared to individual case managers and take into account their knowledge, skill set and experience. New case managers should be able to pass competencies and should meet with the case manager director and the person doing the training at the end of the week to discuss how the training is going. Hospital case managers must develop their own case management training programs that are based on hospital procedures and policies, specific job descriptions, and goals of the department, some experts say. In many cases, rather than hiring an experienced case manager who may not fit well into your department, it's better to hire someone with the characteristics you are looking for and teach him or her case management.