3 Tips To Make Sure Your New Hires Become Successful Employees
Hiring a new employee is as exciting as it is stressful, for both the new hire and for the business. You’ve invested in them by giving them the job, but that’s only the start of your role.
It is your responsibility to make them feel welcome and to induct them to the business. If you fail to do this, you risk upsetting the relationship before it even starts.
While every company will have its own onboarding process for recruiting and training new staff, the goal is always the same: to prime your new employee for long-term success. Here are three things you can do to make sure they start off on the right foot.
1. Make sure you’re on the same page
Have a candid conversation around salary, work hours, holidays, sick leave, career progression, employee benefits, probation periods, and other key details. Make sure this happens during the final stages of the interview process and is reiterated in document form when the new hire comes on board.
Outline clearly what their first few months are going to look like, factoring in any training you will provide as well as the targets they need to hit. Pencil in catch-up meetings on at least a weekly basis to make sure any difficulties or misunderstandings are nipped in the bud early on.
By being upfront, both you and your new team member will understand what is expected of one another – the foundation of any lasting relationship.
2. Provide a welcome pack
Have a welcome pack ready to give to the new hire. This should outline the goals of your company, its values, and provide an organogram of who’s who – basically this must offer an overview of the business and the company culture. (If you have a company culture deck, this is a good time to whip it out.)
By introducing a bit of structure up front, you will help your new hire understand their role in the team and avoid any awkwardness later on.
As a nice extra, throw in some branded freebies or a nice plant for their desk! A tote bag or coffee mug, to make your new employee immediately feel like part of the team.
3. Help build relationships
As many experienced managers will tell you, it’s a human connection that ultimately nurtures a new hire into a star employee.
When your new hire comes in for their first day, introduce them to everyone, preferably as part of a whole-team meeting. Provide opportunities for them to interact, encourage them to go for a one-to-one coffee with their new colleagues, arrange a team lunch.
It’s worth remembering that however interesting the job, it’s the feeling of camaraderie – the notion that ‘we’re all in this together’ – that drives each member of a team into bringing their best to the table day after day.
I hope some of these tips prove useful either to reinforce or add to what you may already be doing. The first few days and weeks are really crucial in ensuring the success of the new hire.
Agree?
