Don't Throw New People Under the Bus
Taking the time to train and orientate new hires pays dividends in loyalty and longevity.
By Kelly Tyler You spend time getting the right people on the bus, but often, in the rush to bring new people onboard, small businesses often forgo training time, causing new people to feel as though they were thrown under the bus.
It is common for small businesses, and companies of any size these days, to rush new people into jobs with very little training. While it can be time consuming to indoctrinate new people to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for your business, it is well worth the time.
Think about the result when new people aren't trained.
If they aren't instructed in company SOPs, they figure out their own way or do what they've done in the past. Frankly, that might not be good enough. A new person does not know your standards for quality or service. A new person does not know your processes, the unwritten rules of your workplace culture or the way people work together. So, rather than hope what they bring is identical-because being "close" isn't good enough-create an SOP manual and new employee orientation program to speed up their learning curve.
Make it easy for new people to satisfy clients, work well with coworkers and meet your standards by providing training. Create Employee Loyalty
Another benefit to thorough onboarding is employee loyalty, which is lacking in most businesses today. Earning employee loyalty begins during the hiring process and continues well into the first several months on the job. Loyalty must be earned continuously, but the greatest impact is in the beginning of the new person's relationship with your company.
If it's not included already, consider adding the following to your new employee orientation: Before Start Date - Keep in touch between the offer and start date. Call her the day prior to the start date to welcome her and see if she has questions.
- Prepare the workspace. Make sure it's cleaned to look new, supplies are stocked and the former person's work is stored elsewhere (unless she'll need it).
- Prepare equipment. Have phones ready, e-mail set up and the computer working.
- Add her to company lists, including phone lists in the building lobby and internally.
- Announce the impending arrival to the staff, so they can welcome her.
- Arrange a series of internal meetings.
On Day One - Greet the new person at the door upon his arrival.
- Introduce him to the receptionist and all key executives.
- Give a tour of the office, pointing out restrooms, cafeteria, soda and ice machines, and copiers.
- Introduce employees in the department and immediate work area.
- Schedule time with human resources for completion of benefit forms.
- Give corporate gear, such as a shirt, coffee mug or portfolio pad.
- Assign a "buddy" to give a company tour and make introductions to other employees. The buddy should take the new person to lunch (on your dime, if possible) and foster positive feelings about joining the company.
The First Week - Explain the whole organization, what each area or person does, and how the new person will interact with each.
- Provide an organization chart with names and locations.
- Give a brief list of responsibilities for all employees or departments.
- Introduce her to all employees, if fewer than 100.
- Help her get to know the area, such as ATM and bank locations, restaurants, gyms, dry cleaners, stores and gas stations.
- Start the series of internal meetings.
- Explain department practices and procedures.
Beyond the First Week
Create a schedule of activity the new person is responsible to complete. For example, an advertising agency might use the following schedule for someone new to account services:
Week 2: Visit key clients' local offices and meet primary contacts in person.
Week 3: Present a summary of a key clients to his supervisor to show he understands the history, business and relationship.
Week 5: Have him job shadow two creative people for three hours each.
Week 7: Visit a job during printing or production, along with the production manager.
Week 9: Provide a plus/delta report for one client. What does the new person like about how the company's process works? What would he consider changing? The purpose is for the agency to learn from someone who has worked elsewhere.
Week 12: Conduct a three-month review with his supervisor.
New people need confirmation that they made the right decision boarding your bus. Make them feel special, and you'll build loyalty. You'll also make them feel excited about boarding your bus, rather than feeling as if they were run over by one. Kelly Tyler, of Kelly Tyler Training Services, is speaking on Creating a Strategic Training Plan at Missouri's HR conference on August 2. To learn more about KTTS and how they work with small businesses, please visit www.KellyTylerTrainingServices.com. |
