Finding the right candidate for your organisation is tough. You go through tons of interviews, sit through hours of Q&A while discerning in your mind if the candidate is suitable. And it all leads up to the point where they sign the Offer Letter! But hang on… The job is only half done, as you need to ensure that you onboard your New Hire properly.
However, the onboarding process shouldn’t be difficult as long as you formulate a process. Regardless of the size of your organization, creating an onboarding process is extremely important as it determines how well your new hire will fit in your organisation and in the future. It also ensures that every new hire goes through the same training which equips them to succeed in your organisation. Let’s get started!
1. Prepare
A little preparation goes a long way. There’s nothing worse than asking a bright-eyed, enthusiastic and eager new hire to wait hours while IT sets up their email, phone, desk, access card etc. It demoralizes them and sends across a message that the organisation wasn’t prepared for their arrival. By the time they start working, they will be sluggish and unmotivated.
Before their first day, ensure that IT has set up all their infrastructure, that HR/Admin has set up a place for them to work and prepared all their name cards (there’s nothing more awkward than heading to a client meeting and saying that you don’t have any name card as you are new). On top of that, to really create an impression, write them a Welcome Note! In that note, state how excited you are to have them onboard and share why they were hired. It shows that you’ve taken note of their strengths and that it is appreciated in the organisation.
2. Involve
The same way it takes two hands to clap, it takes two people to make the onboarding journey successful. In order for that to work, you need to involve your new hire. Along every step of journey, get your new hire to note down what they’ve learnt and what they wished they’ve learnt. It gets them to be more alert about the details and gets them thinking through every meeting, every training, every briefing… It also shows that you value their opinion and that they can make a difference in your organisation. After listening to their opinion, be sure to act on it. There is nothing worse than having an employee give feedback only to realise that it will not be implemented.
Involving your new hires in giving feedback will also helps you to tighten the screws on your onboarding process which means that every subsequent new hire’s onboarding will be smoother and more thorough.
3. Catch-up
Make a conscientious effort to have rhythmic weekly catch-ups with your new hire. Having that regular contact shows them that you care. It also gives you a great opportunity to find out how they’ve adjusted to the organisation. Culture doesn’t happen overnight, but through the small meetings.
It might feel like a lot of work at the start but 15 minutes a week is about 6% of your working hours in a normal week. This 15-minutes a week will go a long way in nurturing an employee who will not just blend in your culture, but add strength to your team.
4. Set Achievable Goals
Finally, your new hire needs to feel that they are progressing even while on probation. Therefore, highlight specific milestones for them to complete and help them get there! Create weekly goals, monthly goals and goals for the end of their probation. Completing goals always gives us a sense of accomplishment and purpose, and makes us excited for the next challenge.
There! 4 simple ways to create the best onboarding experience for your new hire. This is most often the process that most managers overlook and makes them feel that onboarding a new hire takes a lot of work when it doesn’t have to. Remember, it’s as easy as P.I.C.S.
