When it comes to inducting new employees into your business you only get one chance. Get it wrong and you have started to sow the seeds of doubt in the mind of your new starter in the first few weeks. Get it right and it will make a huge difference to how the person settles in. Without being perfectionist, the key is to make sure that every new starter feels excited and positive that they have made the right choice in joining your business.
The way to do this is to:
1. Get The Practical Stuff RightMake sure you have practical aspects such as a desk, phone and computer ready, with a password. Get their name added to your email system or have a uniform ready for them as appropriate. Will they need business cards? Do they need a key or security pass to access the premises? Having everything ready and organised before they arrive shows you place a high value on the service you provide to your people as well as your customers; something that sets a very good tone with a new starter.
2. Have A PlanMake sure there is some form of training/induction plan that is ready before they start. Something you can physically give to them on their first day so that they are clear about what they will be doing over the first few days (or weeks). You may even choose to call them the week before they join to confirm arrangements for the first day and tell them broadly about their induction plan before they have joined - they'll feel less apprehensive about their first day in the new job and feel like a valued employee even before they have joined you.
3. Inspire ThemIn the first week, it is important that all new staff know what you are trying to achieve in your business, what your future vision and goals are, what your values are. Understanding this will get new starters excited about the business they have joined, but it also gives them clarity and a sense of purpose, no matter what their role. Something that is a critical strategy in retaining people.
4. SocialiseA large part of someone's success comes from how well they fit into your team. So ensure that all new starters have an early opportunity to get to know their new colleagues on a less formal basis, whether it's a quick drink with the team during the first few days or a lunch. It allows them to get to know the team and start to bond with them in the first few days.
5. Be SystematicIt's all very well getting it right once or twice, but to get the induction process right for all new starters, you require a system – a standardised way in which all new starters are introduced into your business. So, set up a manual that has step-by-step guidelines for inducting new starters. This way, the quality of an individual's induction is not dependent on you or one member of your team, it will be of a consistently high standard.
Many businesses talk a good game about induction but often don't deliver. Others simply don't place much importance to it at all. But in my experience first impressions play a big part in hiring people. And like any first impression – for every new employee, you only have one chance to get their induction right – so never don't waste the opportunity.
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