Get your new employees “on board” and off to a great start
In the talent management universe, the new employee orientation and mainstreaming process is known as “employee onboarding.” Keeping in mind that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, your business should make absolutely sure that new hires feel welcomed, valued, and prepared for what lies ahead during your new employee orientation or onboarding process.
The following four key points will help you get your newest team members on track, up to speed and “on board” so they can start contributing to your success as soon as possible.
Familiarity Breeds Contentment
A possible approach to help familiarize new hires with the corporate family tree and could help avert embarrassing situations such as the new hire who asks a stranger for help with the fax machine, only to discover later that he was the CFO.
Rather than flashcards, a “who’s who” area with photos, names and titles in a company presentation will do the trick. Check out www.theinductor.com.au Offline, a simple bulletin board with staff pictures, names, and positions is helpful.
Let New Employee Orientation Be – Simple and Interesting
The employee onboarding period can be quite complex and uncertain. Consider the experience from the employee’s perspective, and then make an effort to make it fun, interesting, exciting, painless, and as simple as possible. If you do, you will make your new team member feel valued, wanted, interested and excited. By engendering these positive emotions from the start, you make your new employee want to do great work and add great value to your organization.
One possible solution is to post new employee orientation schedules, materials, benefits forms, and an extensive FAQ about the company using an editable presentation (like the Inductor) or an Intranet that is accessible to new hires from a link in a welcome email before their first day on the job. By providing some information in advance, you eliminate a common source of new hire angst and give them a better chance to start off well.
Don’t Make New Employees Learn “The Hard Way”
Every workplace comes with its own set of rules and regulations, benefits and bonuses, nuances and traditions. Don’t make your new employees learn these things the hard way. If your company observes a “casual Friday” rule, make sure all new employees know this before they show up at the office on their first Friday in a neatly-pressed suit.
Every company offers a range of benefits and perks. They’ll seem even more valuable if you make sure your new employees know about them from the onset. Give new employees an easy way to keep track of exactly what they’re eligible for, and how they can take advantage of these benefits.
Again, post policies and procedures in writing somewhere convenient. Verbal mentions during a marathon new employee orientation session can easily go unheard, especially on a new hire’s first day in the office. Similarly, a stack of papers and reminders can easily get lost in the shuffle. An online resource that is regularly updated, and always accessible, is the best practice when it comes to information sharing.
Make New Employee Orientation Personal
Don’t make day one all about paperwork. Instead, prioritise interpersonal relationships with key colleagues. Consider assigning welcome mentors to each new hire, so they can immediately get a feel for the personality of your business. This day of first impressions will have an enormous impact on the employee experience, so make it a good one.
Of course, some paperwork must be handled on or before the start date. Keep in mind that when your new hire goes home to tell his family about his first day on the job, they would rather have something more exciting to report than, “I filled out over 30 forms.”
It’s been proven that happy employees are more productive employees. So, if you’re looking to drive bottom line results with state of the art talent management tactics, it’s time to get “onboard.”
If you require assistance with your new employee on-boarding programme or induction process Call Gatti Consulting for an initial free discussion to see how we can help you to improve your businesses performance and profitability.
