| p>Do you remember your first day on the job? This | | | | to connect, engage and ultimately, retain new talent. |
| might be a challenge as some of us have had quite of | | | | If you are thinking about developing a plan for |
| few "first days". A first day can be exhilarating, boring, | | | | integrating new talent, consider the following: |
| overwhelming or a mix of all of these. Most | | | | - Start the orientation period before the employee |
| importantly, the first day of a new job sets the tone | | | | arrives for their first day. Employees are usually |
| for an employee's integration into your organization. | | | | excited about starting their new job, and the period |
| Regardless of what the first day may be like - it | | | | between the hiring and the first day is a great time to |
| always ends and is followed by a second and a third | | | | establish contact. Consider sending benefit packages |
| day. Well, that is if your new hire returns from lunch! | | | | to their home for review prior to the start date and |
| Unfortunately, most managers have experienced | | | | providing a welcome packet with information about the |
| having an employee who leaves the organization | | | | organization, etc. |
| almost as quickly as they join. Some employees take | | | | - Use a variety of training approaches to assist your |
| the time to say goodbye while others disappear | | | | new employee with retaining information, including |
| without a word -- leaving us wondering "why"? | | | | e-learning tools that are available after hours and off |
| As leaders, we can't predict and control for every | | | | site. |
| new employee hire and their integration process. We | | | | - Involve senior leaders in the new hire orientation (i.e., |
| can, however, create an opportunity for a great first | | | | Set up 1:1 meetings with the CEO, have new |
| day, week, and even year for our new employees. | | | | employees have lunch with the senior team) This |
| The first and most essential element for achieving this | | | | sends several important messages up front -- you are |
| is promoting an organizational culture that values its | | | | important to us; we are accessible; we are equals. |
| team members whether they are new hires or existing | | | | - Assign a team member to support the new |
| staff. | | | | employee through their orientation period. |
| As leaders, it is vital that we set the tone for our staff. | | | | - Develop a mechanism for the new employee to ask |
| Do you convey that each and every team member is | | | | questions and obtain information in real time during their |
| important? It is this attitude that influences existing staff | | | | first weeks. |
| to invest in orienting, training and supporting their new | | | | - Assure that work space, tools and supplies are |
| team members. | | | | ready for new employees on their first day. (Hint: This |
| The second key element for promoting great first | | | | is something we can control with planning and it makes |
| days is developing and implementing a systematic plan | | | | a BIG difference in the employee's perception of their |
| for integrating new staff members into the | | | | importance to the organization.) |
| organization. Successful plans are developed with input | | | | - Arrange for the new employee to learn about the |
| from all levels of staff and are revised overtime based | | | | organization first hand with 1:1 meetings with program |
| on new employee feedback. | | | | leaders, program tours, and other activities. This |
| One way to accomplish this is to create a time limited | | | | promotes the feeling of being a part of the larger |
| work group that looks at and revises your existing | | | | organization and engagement in the overall mission. |
| new employee orientation and training plan. A good | | | | - Set the expectation and monitor that supervisors are |
| approach is for you to discuss the outcomes you | | | | in fact meeting with their new employees often, |
| hope to achieve prior to the work group establishing | | | | providing support, information and feedback. Provide |
| the new employee integration plan. | | | | supervisors the training they need to do this well. |
| To this end, think about what you do NOT want to | | | | - Create an atmosphere of celebration related to the |
| achieve, such as endless days of didactic | | | | new hire. Let them know that they are welcome. The |
| presentations followed by "trial by fire" on-the-job | | | | first days and weeks on the job impress upon the |
| training. If the later statement is not familiar to you, it | | | | employee that they have made the right choice -- or |
| means you have had exceptional new employee | | | | conversely, can get them thinking they have made a |
| orientation experiences. If you do relate to it -- as | | | | mistake. Consider holding a "welcome" breakfast, |
| many of us do -- you have experienced showing up to | | | | providing a welcome letter from the CEO, arranging |
| a new job to find there is little time for anyone to show | | | | for a lunch on the first day to meet the team and/or |
| you what to do, a lack of necessary tools, and a lot of | | | | giving them a welcome card signed by the team. |
| work to complete immediately. The opposite situation | | | | - Survey new hires at the end of months one, three |
| of having very little work to do, most often because | | | | and six regarding barriers to productivity and create |
| no one has time to explain it to you, can also be | | | | mechanisms to respond accordingly. |
| unsettling. | | | | Ultimately, each team member plays a part in |
| Employers do not set out to run off their new | | | | welcoming, orienting, training and integrating new talent |
| employees. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Leaders | | | | onto the team. You and your team can dramatically |
| most often recognize that employee turnover puts a | | | | influence a new hire's experience of your organization, |
| strain on existing employees, financial resources, and | | | | and subsequently, their retention and productivity. For |
| organizational productivity. However, we can | | | | you as a leader, time spent investing in creating great |
| underestimate the difficulty of integrating new | | | | first days for new team members will bring BIG pay |
| employees onto the team and miss key opportunities | | | | offs! |