You’ve filled your job opening with a terrific new candidate. Now you can breathe easy and cross that task off your “to do” list, right? Wrong. Your work doesn’t end as soon as the new employee walks through the door. In fact, as one of Miami’s top staffing firms, we know that finding the right candidate is just a part of the hiring process, not the end of it.
Consider the facts.
According to a 2009 study conducted by Leadership IQ, 46% of new hires fail within 18 months. That’s nearly half! There are a variety of reasons for this high failure rate, many of them stemming from critical mistakes made during the recruiting process. But even for those candidates who are a good fit, not having a solid program in place that helps them transition into their new position and into the company can be the difference between achieving success – and floundering on the job.
So how can you set your new hires up for success?
Through onboarding. Onboarding is a pre- and post- hire process that helps an employee to integrate into their new work environment. With an effective employee onboarding program in place, you can achieve a variety of important goals, including:
- Welcoming and engaging the new hire
- Helping them understand the company, its goals, and vision for the future
- Ensuring they understand how their role fits into the “big picture”
- Ultimately, helping them become more productive
The bottom line is that through employee onboarding, new hires can gain the confidence they need to make a positive impact as quickly as possible and help carry out your company’s mission. So whether you’re developing a formal onboarding program, or simply trying to better facilitate the transition period for new hires, here are some suggestions to keep in mind:
Don’t overwhelm the employee on their first day.
Instead, before they start, send them necessary paperwork to complete on their own time via email or mail. Also send them a copy of the employee handbook ahead of time so they can review it and prepare any questions. In addition, make sure you communicate the important, but often forgotten, details, like where to park, where to eat lunch, etc…
Develop a plan for the employee’s first week on the job.
Before the new hire even starts, know how you are going to help them learn their job, whether it’s shadowing another employee or through on-the-job training. For new hires, that first week is the hardest and they will feel much more at ease if they know what to expect each day.
Facilitate positive relationships.
While skill level is imperative to job success, so is an employee’s fit with the culture. That’s why it’s important to help facilitate positive relationships from the start. So go out of your way to make the new hire feel welcomed, and encourage other employees to do the same.
Follow up.
Follow up regularly with the new hire during those first few weeks and months to ensure their questions are answered and to let them know you are there to help them succeed on the job.
If you need some help with the hiring process at your company, please contact Future Force Personnel. As one of Miami’s top staffing firms, employers throughout the city turn to us to recruit, screen, and help them hire high quality candidates. We can help you too! Contact us today to learn more.