Starting on the right foot
Starting a new role with a business can be pretty nerve-wracking even for experienced employees. There seems to be so much to learn – getting to know team members, protocols and standards, systems and processes and of course the company products and services as well so it may well feel like the new member is drinking from the proverbial fire-hose for the first few weeks. However, the transition into a new role can be made much more pleasant, effective and efficient through the employer putting in place some simple steps.
The process begins right from the initial recruitment stage. These days, interviews are very much a two-way street with the prospective employee trying to determine if the role will be a good fit for them as much as the employer is seeking to find out if the candidate is the right person. It is important during this two-way dialogue that the employer both sells the benefits of working in the company as well as communicates all associated requirements. For example, if the role is going to require some out-of-hours or anti-social hours working, it must be made clear upfront otherwise misaligned expectations will undoubtedly get the relationship off to a bad start when the candidate joins on day one. All jobs have good and some not-so-good elements to them and not being transparent about these from the start will not only lead to disappointment, it also undermines trust from the outset.
Introduction into a company can be made considerably easier if the employer has an “Induction Checklist” or “Induction Program” defined in which specific orientation tasks will be listed to take place over a given timeframe. This typically includes things like provision of required equipment (e.g. mobile phone, laptop, pass keys etc), issuing of, or reference to, company policies and procedures, organisation chart and Position Description (if not already done), explanation of required work practices and potentially a Training Plan. Last, but not least, is the introduction to company values which are hopefully already well entrenched in the business and are often best done by the boss.
Apart from these practical items, there is a very real need to consider the people element as integral part of the induction process and so the introduction of the new employee into the team needs to be handled carefully and sensitively. The assignment of a ‘buddy’ or ‘mentor’ to whom this person can turn during those first few weeks to ask for support or guidance is often a good idea. This person should be carefully selected and choosing someone with similar interests, hobbies and/or technical skills can do much to make the new start feel like they already have a friend in the business. A morning coffee or afternoon tea can be a good way to introduce the new start as well, but bear in mind that these sorts of introduction may feel a little intimidating for shyer people.
It is important that at some stage during the first or second day, the buddy/mentor or new starts’ manager show the new employee around the work environment so they get to meet other employees and get an early feel for the company culture. To this end, staff in the environment should be advised of the new person’s name, role within the business and their line manager well in advance so that there are no awkward moments when the new employee is being shown around.
Following the initial introduction, in order for the new member to properly settle in, they should be invited to all relevant meetings (even if they don’t yet have a full grasp on the role) and social events. It is useful for the new start’s line manager to follow up directly with the person after one week, one month and three months to check on how things are going from a settling in perspective.
The old adage that you only get one chance to make a first impression really applies to this situation.
Ian Ash ACC, AInstIB
Managing Director OrgMent Business Solutions - www.ombs.com.au