Statistics and practical experience show it costs time and money to replace an employee, so does it not make sense to new hires off to a good start? For very little money and a modicum of effort, you can set the stage for a new hire’s success.
1. Send new employees a note (handwritten if possible) before they start work. These aren’t messages about policies or parking passes. Rather, you are writing to say “We are glad you are going to be working with us.”
2. Tell new people exactly what to do when they arrive on their first day. Do they park in visitor parking? Should they report to Human Resources first? Eliminating uncertainty will show that you’ve got your act together.
3. Make sure the space a new hire is going to occupy is clean and free of the last person’s personal effects and well stocked with supplies. Nothing says “We don’t care” like dirt and clutter do.
4. Does the new person get a computer, phone, or other electronics? If so, be sure to have those items in place as soon as possible. Without the proper tools, it’s hard to hit the ground running.
5. If your organization has coffee mugs, shirts, or other promotional items emblazoned with the company name, gather these together, and present them to the new hire. Most people like a present, and this small gesture is another signal that you are welcoming and excited to have a new team member.
6. Avoid doubt and confusion by providing the new person with a written schedule for the first day. The schedule should include lunch with the immediate supervisor, new colleagues, or other people who will contribute to making the new hire’s first days a success. And while you’re at it, provide the firm’s emergency telephone number.
7. Along those same lines, establish expectations early. Meet with the new person and review what you expect in terms of quantity and quality of work, appearance, hours, and so forth. Much of this could also have been covered by Human Resources or outlines in an employee manual provided by your organization. However, if something is important to you, highlight it verbally. New people have a lot of information to digest, and extra emphasis can’t hurt.
8. During a new hire’s first few weeks, set up 20-minute informational meetings with key employees throughout your company. This should go without saying, but be sure to choose people who believe in your organization, set a good example, and can provide insight about the business.
9. A little background information can help new employees avoid potential landmines. While gossip is obviously not a good idea, insight on the idiosyncrasies of the workplace should be shared if knowing about them will help the new person without hurting anyone else.
10. Pay attention to distribution lists. New people won’t necessarily see the emails or memos they should if someone isn’t looking out for them.
11. If the employee is new to your industry, share trade magazines, websites, and other resources that might be useful.
12. Finally, check in throughout the week, but don’t be a pest.
None of these suggestions is difficult to implement, but they all take planning. The good news is, it’s usually worth it. The faster you can get new employees up to speed, the sooner they will produce the work you hired them to do!
By Kate Zabriskie
Source: Boardroom Buzz
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