Many companies assume the hiring process ends when an offer is accepted, but in reality, that’s just the beginning. After dedicating countless resources to finding the best person for the job, the last thing you want is to have your new employee quit a week or a few months down the road because of your insufficient onboarding process.
5 Guidelines to Effectively Onboard and Train New Hires
Offer a Warm Welcome
Joining an entirely new team can be incredibly intimidating, so go out of your way to make the new employee feel comfortable. They certainly won’t be able to remember everyone’s names, but walk them around your office on the first day to make introductions and plan a team lunch, to help everyone get better acquainted. During their first few weeks, schedule a series of meet-and-greets with key people in your department, so they can gain a better understanding of what each person does.
Create a Formal Training Process
Standardize your hiring process so every new employee receives the same comprehensive training, instead of leaving it to the discretion of each manager. This includes everything from creating an all-inclusive welcome packet containing necessary paperwork to making a 30-60-90-day plan highlighting objectives for their first few months on the job.
Assign a Mentor
New employees are unsure about everything from how to use the break room coffee maker to the meaning of certain company-specific acronyms, but many don’t feel comfortable barraging the boss with these inquiries. Provide each new person with a dedicated mentor who can answer all these questions and help them get adjusted. It makes a huge difference to have a specific person ready to assist with these concerns, instead of trying to figure it out alone.
Avoid Information Overload
Starting a new job is a huge adjustment, so avoid overwhelming your new hire by throwing too much information their way at once. When you’re understaffed, it can be tempting to have them dive right into a big project on day one, but this is only a temporary solution. If you want your new team member to stay with you long-term, you must gradually ease them into the job. At the very beginning, they need time to focus on getting acclimated to your systems, learning more about the business and adjusting to your culture.
Provide Introductory Tasks
While it’s not advisable to give new hires complex projects right away, it is smart to have a set of introductory tasks ready to go. Many people learn by doing, so this will assist in the training process. Plus, new hires often feel forgotten when they’re left with nothing to do for most of the day, because their manager is busy dealing with other pressing business issues.
Trying to find the best person for the job can be incredibly challenging, so let HTSS, Inc. do the work for you. We offer temporary staffing, temp-to-hire, permanent placement, payrolling and vendor-on-premise services to companies throughout the Lehigh Valley. Contact us today to discuss your needs!
