Homer Simpson once said on his first day at a new job “Can you repeat the part of the stuff where you said all about the things?” Imagine if your new employee, at any level, came to work on day one without proper knowledge. At the very least this may mean a slow start, and at worst a catastrophic impression is made.
You thought that once you had made the hire, that was it, job done. You thought that having hired your new COO, Finance or HR Director that all your problems were sorted. If you don’t invest in your purchase, you may fall foul of the hire. Unfortunately, it is common knowledge that a huge percentage of hires don’t work out because care isn’t taken post the point of securing your dream candidate.
So how do you mitigate risk post hire. Pre-start you could think about setting up IT access and providing essential preparation material. Linking interview process and planning to the future is critical; has your incoming HR Director had the opportunity to meet their new network and place these sessions alongside their first 90-day plan. Providing resources that help the new employee understand the mission, and appreciate the company’s values, and culture will no doubt ensure a smoother integration.
Job specific training sounds like a run of the mill process, but once an employee has started when taken seriously, this will have a gigantic impact. A well-trained new employee will perform better, become more adaptable, and will produce a higher quality of work, and on top of this will make fewer mistakes require less supervision and be more efficient, resulting in a cost-effective multiplier.
It is important to set clear expectations from the beginning to ensure a smooth transition and establish a collective understanding of roles and goals. Things to consider are role responsibilities, standards, dress, communication, policies, development, and behaviour, all of which will provide a new employee with a framework from which to operate.
The myriad of benefits that accompany providing early feedback can be grouped into two core outcomes. First, it drives new employee proficiency, helping them become net contributors faster. Second, it significantly decreases the chances of new hire failure, lowering turnover and improving retention rates. Feedback from, an as of yet, unbiased employee may also provide objective critique on a current environment or process.
Above all is the requirement to offer ongoing trainings sessions for skill development. Learning can and should be a continuous process and that professional development can bring a range of benefits: improved career prospects, boosted self-confidence, enhanced capabilities, increased enjoyment and potentially better leadership skills, all of which can be of enormous benefit to employer and employee alike.
Homer Simpson also said, “Just because I don’t understand doesn’t mean I’m not concerned.” Imagine if you on-board a new employee properly, and they can package up all their concern and care and point it in the right direction.
If you would like advice on structuring your on-boarding process, be in touch with Adam Bloch, Head of Fusion Recruitment and Fusion’s CFOaaS at adam.b@fcg.co.uk.
