3 Tips to Create a Smooth Transition For a New Hire
When recruiting a new employee, there is a lot of time, resources and organisation that goes into creating a smooth transition into the company. This transitional process from candidate to employee is known as onboarding and is one of the most important components within the recruitment process.
An article published by the Harvard Business Review found that more than 33% of new hires start searching for a new role within the first 6 months and 23% actually leave their job within the first year! To ensure that you as an employer don’t add to these statistics, there are ways that you can minimise your level of risk during that period.
Here are our 3 top tips to making sure your new employees’ first weeks run as smooth as possible:
- Start onboarding ahead of time
Keep in mind that the employee experience commences before their first official start date and first impressions count. Our recommendation is to create an orientation pack as well as processes around bringing new staff on board. The pack can be forwarded to the new recruit prior to their commencement date, to familiarise themselves with company policies, procedures, expectations and current systems. By providing new employees with this information prior to their first day, you will be able to effectively communicate important company information, expectations and requirements, helping to familiarise themselves with the company and minimising confusion when they do commence with you.
- Ensure that new recruits have all the necessary tools they need to succeed
This step seems pretty self-explanatory however you’d be surprised to know that a lot of new employees turn up on their first day without even a desk set up for them. Setting up a checklist for new starters is essential. It should include all necessary tools such as computers and access, phones, stationery, keys/cards, desks, any special requirements, vehicles if included and any other tools for the person to effectively work in their role as well as a location and furniture. By having this in place prior to the commencement date, it will ensure that the new starter feels that adequate effort was made for their arrival. Other items could include; staff directory, contact list, reporting schedules, emergency protocols and a person organised to undertake a short orientation and introduction on their behalf to the team. It goes without saying that, having this in place, will make the first day welcoming to the new recruit.
- Set aside time for new hires to meet other colleagues
We consider this step to be one of the most important. The first day and week of your new employee can go very quickly, making it all the more important to set aside time for the new hire to meet with their team, manager and other key staff members to get acquainted with reporting lines and support staff. These initial interactions could be as simple as a team meeting and / or lunch or could be in the form of assigning a buddy / mentor from the same team. For companies that are still working remotely, this activity can still be done by setting aside time for Zoom / online meetings. Through this process, your new recruit will feel part of the team as well as understanding the culture better and building some early bonds with their colleagues.
The first day, week and month on the job can make or break a new employee’s impression of your company and the people within it. By implementing onboarding processes and creating an engaging experience right from the start, you will create a more welcoming environment, build engagement and create ‘buy in’ from your new recruit. Set up and done well, it will become the easiest process you can undertake to ensure a longer tenure of the new recruit. It will also give you the employer, satisfaction that you have done what you can to ensure that every new employee has the tools, information and support to excel within the business.
If you need assistance with understanding or setting up onboarding processes, please speak to our consultants who would be more than happy to discuss this further.
