How to ensure that your new employee settles in – Pareto Executive Services

Selection process complete, offer letter has been sent, HR have given you the green light and you can relax, knowing that your new hire will be starting soon. But, you want to ensure that they hit the ground running to ensure maximum return on your investment.

Without a doubt, the first weeks of a new role set the tone for your employees' perception and arguably, the rest of their career at your company. Did some say, first impressions count? Indeed they do! So, here’s our round-up of the things you need to do, to ensure that your new hire commits to your business:

A clear onboarding process

A clear onboarding process is essential for a successful new hire. 

According to HR consulting firm ‘The Wynhurst Group,’ new employees who experience a structured onboarding process are 58% more likely to stay with the company for more than three years.

So, what makes a structured onboarding process?

In a nutshell, a transparent ‘to do list’, including an introduction to systems, staff and culture. Most importantly, clear expectations of what is expected from the role.

Information including:

• An introduction to colleagues - even those not in your immediate team

• Information on the organisational structure

• A tour of building

• Health and safety awareness

• Policies and procedures they should be aware of eg. car parking permits. 

Basics on an employee's First Day:

Creating a timetable of events or a tick box list to ensure you have allocated time to a basic introduction of working life at your company. 

One of the most common problems during an employee's first few days in the office is that they’re often left wondering what to do after a quick 10 minute tour.

Allocating and pre booking time to be trained on company systems is a great option here as it means that your employees workflow will not be distrubed later down the line when they take on more complex tasks.

30, 60, 90 days

 This is a strategic way of setting expectations for a new employee and refers to the first three months that the employee is with the business. The plan will offer the employee a structured approach to goal setting, with weekly reviews on progress.

Whilst the first thirty days should be set out by the business, you should approach the sixty-day mark with a more collaborative approach in mind. Ownership is key for the 30, 60, 90 approach to work.

Team Bonding

Having a close friend at work can make a new hire seven times more likely to be engaged in their role. Therefore, creating opportunities for your new starter to build relationships with their colleagues is essential.

Having an office culture that welcomes new employees is key. This includes ensuring that your team are informed of their start date, and ready for them to join. Once the employee has joined, setting a team bonding day can be of huge benefit, activities that are genuinely geared towards teamwork rather than those designed towards leadership are most likely to be successful.

1-1 training

Furthermore, having a ‘buddy’ or mentor system is also proven to have great benefits. Having someone share their personal knowledge that they’ve developed over the years is way more effective than learning from a textbook.

1-1 training is a great way to improve staff development and increase staff retention rates - letting your new employee know that they are part of a wider project that includes the upskilling of all members of staff consistently can help them to feel more relaxed  and less pressure to retain all information given to them during their first weeks.

Certainly, the onboarding process is much more valuable than most employers perceive it to be. Our executive team offers a comprehensive support package, as well as a 12-month guarantee, for more details - you can contact us here.

Have you got any tips that can help retain new employees? You can let us know in the comments or on our LinkedIn.