The quicker new hires feel comfortable, the faster they become a productive part of your organization. This process starts well before hiring decisions are made. The right person for the job takes less training and fits in with your company culture more quickly than less desirable candidates. Here are a few tips to improve your hiring and onboarding processes to get new hires up to speed faster.
1. Fill Positions Quickly
The longer a position is empty, the harder it is to move a new hire into place. When there is an unfilled job, the workload piles up and employees get used to it being vacant. Speed up your decisions by involving your team. Start by asking for employee referrals and taking them seriously. Your current workforce knows your company culture and the skills needed to be successful in your organization. Employee referrals are usually a better fit than random applicants. If referrals don't lead to a great candidate, check in with your network. Look at interns in other organizations who would be a good fit. For entry-level positions, take a look at college graduates in your area.
2. Pay Attention to Personalities
During the hiring process, pull members of your team in to help with interviews. This is a great way to assess your applicants' personalities and how they mesh with those they will be working with if hired. Introduce applicants to others who are available during the time they are on-site. Watch the interactions to see how they play out. Although everyone doesn't have to get along immediately, if interactions seem tense, the applicant might have more trouble adapting to the position. If you do hire the interviewees eventually, they have the advantage of having met several people in your organization. That way, as new hires, they feel more confident during their first few days at work.
3. Use an Onboarding Workflow
An established onboarding process keeps new hires from experiencing too much downtime and reduces their frustrations. Draw up an onboarding workflow that includes every step of the onboarding procedure, including who is responsible for what. Query your current employees when drafting a better onboarding process to find out what they wish they had known right away when they were just starting with your company. Include things like greeting the new hires and giving them a tour, paperwork to fill out and documents to have available, and protocols for learning about the company and meeting key employees.
4. Grow Relationships
Ensure that new hires feel welcome by including them in established company social activities and relaxed meetings. Most new hires want to make sure they do everything right, but worrying too much about rules can make a new employee feel separate and left out. Consider building a short weekly social meeting into your department's schedule. This is a perfect time for employees, including new hires, to bond. Use this time to celebrate accomplishments and lightly discuss problems. Add snacks or informal get-to-know-each-other games to create a relaxed atmosphere.
A faster hiring process and better onboarding procedure help your new hires adapt more quickly to their new positions to become productive members of your team faster. The backbone of the process is a written workflow that uses best practices to move new hires quickly into position.
Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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