On-board Your Team So Well They Never Want to Leave
Monday Morning Manager Series #19
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Did you know that an employee’s first three months with an organization are critical?
When you get a new starter on your team, first impressions count. Your new hire will undoubtedly be keen to do a good job and hopeful of a bright future with you. But they will also be absorbing the culture and making a value judgment.
I’ve seen many newbies leave an organization very quickly. Common reasons were that the job is misrepresented in the interview, lack of training, a toxic boss, poor organizational culture, or a muddled ineffective team.
“22 percent of staff turnover occurs in the first 45 days of employment.” (The Wynhurst Group)” — Why Employee Onboarding Matters, Andrew Greenberg, contractrecruiter.com
I know you’re not a toxic boss, and you can’t control the broader culture but what you can do is influence what happens when someone new joins your team.
To get the best out of your team and avoid high turnover, you need to make the on-boarding experience within your team positive.
To deliver a fantastic on-boarding experience, do these three things:
On-boarding your new hire — Getting them work ready
I’ve seen people arrive in a team and introduce themselves to co-workers who have no idea who they are. No desk, no mobile or laptop, and no manager in sight.
“Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.”— Stephen R. Covey
The newbie wonders if they dreamed the whole job offer, and the rest of the team is acutely embarrassed.
When you have a new hire, make sure you:
- Tell the team
- Provide a laptop, phone, swipe cards, ID cards, and PPE
- Set up a desk with screens and stationery
- Have any passwords and sign-ons ready
- Arrange to have HR sort out any outstanding paperwork
- Go through what will happen in the first week
- Provide the org chart, phone list, floor plan…
