Even the most talented and experienced new employees will require assistance to adjust to working in a new environment. Onboarding, training and ongoing communication are essential for workers to understand their new responsibilities, what is expected of them and how they can best interact with their team members. However, this essential aspect of workforce management isn't always the easiest for small and medium-sized businesses, which often work with limited resources. Most companies need their new hires to be as productive as possible right from the get-go, so establishing the best ways the company's human resources team can quickly and efficiently set workers up for success the minute they begin their jobs is important.
Here are five steps HR professionals should follow whenever they bring new members into the company:
1. Officially welcome them to the business through orientation
Orientation is an essential element of workers' first days on the job. These sessions introduce new hires to the basic aspects of the company – i.e. the types of benefits they will receive, who to go to if they have any questions, what the company culture is like and more. Just handing new employees the company handbook and showing them where they will sit isn't enough to truly set them up to be successful, according to Entrepreneur magazine. Orientation sessions, while they may seem tedious, can allow workers to get their feet wet with the company before they dive into their positions. ERE.net noted that companies shouldn't just dump information on new hires during orientation sessions, but to only provide them with the most basic information they need to get started.
2. Hold a team meeting with the new worker
Every member of the new employee's team needs to understand exactly what the new worker is going to be responsible for and his or her role on the team. A great way to do this is to hold a team meeting to introduce the new hire to the entire team and for everyone to get on the same page.
3. Develop a 90-day success plan
New hires need to feel as if they are supported by their managers and their employers from day one, and it's often beneficial to create a plan for how the first 90 days at the company are going to go. This plan doesn't have to be in depth, but should lay out when the new hire will receive feedback about his or her work, which clients or projects he or she will take on when and any challenges he or she may encounter. According to an article in Inc. magazine, developing an individualized plan can help new hires be more productive and stay at the company for a longer period of time than they otherwise would have.
4. Partner them with mentors
Many times, workers who just joined the company need to learn the ropes, and mentors are a great way to help new hires bond with their new teammates and start to feel loyal to their employer. An article highlighted in TLNT suggested companies give new hires a person they can turn to if they have any questions, and this person should be a mentor. Having a mentor can help employees feel like part of the team and supported by their employers.
5. Check in on a regular basis after onboarding
Staying in touch with how new hires are feeling within their first 90 days at the company is important to keep track of how they are progressing and if they have any needs that haven't been addressed. But HR professionals can't discount the benefits of frequently receiving feedback from employees about their strengths and weaknesses to ensure these valuable members of the workforce stay at the company.