I don’t believe that any entrepreneur would deny that their team is their businesses biggest asset.
Even if you have an amazing product, without your team how would the world know about it?
There always comes a time in the growth of your business, where you come to the realisation that you need those with expertise that exceeds your own to boost the growth of your business. As it will enable you to focus on the areas that you are highly skilled in; but once you’ve found those amazingly skilled individuals, how do you keep them motivated and loyal?
We know that competitive remuneration is a must - after all, we’ve all got bills to pay! - no one who knows their worth is going to take a job paying less than the industry standard, but what else?
I want to look at starting well, by mastering the on-boarding process …
Throughout the recruitment process, we focus on creating an amazing candidate experience. It’s a two way selling process; we want the best person for our organisation and they want, well ... they want, what they want!
So once you’ve negotiated these waters, made an offer and had it accepted ... ask yourself “What’s Next?"
Often there is a gap of a month or more between getting that offer accepted and an individual starting with your organisation. So how do you keep them feeling warm and fuzzy, as well as helping them to settle in, once they do start?
Here are a few pointers:
Give them a Buddy
One of the best experiences of on-boarding that I had was being given a ‘Work Buddy’ before I’d started. I received weekly emails in the lead up to my joining date, was invited to payday Friday drinks before I was actually on payroll! Had someone to ask silly questions like where is the nearest sandwich place and is there a good place to get a lunchtime pedicure or how does my new boss like to be communicated with.
Day 1 Brilliance
Make sure their first day runs smoothly. I worked for one organisation, where on my first day the receptionist was waiting for me, my desk was prepared with my laptop, phone, note pad and other items and when I checked my emails, I had my induction meetings scheduled for the next few weeks (it included a trip to an international office). Everything was so smooth, I was able to hit the ground running and had access to all that I needed.
Induction Plan
So touching on Inductions, nothing is more frustrating than starting a role and having to find your way around an unfamiliar landscape unassisted. I remember starting a senior role with an organisation, and I didn’t even receive my laptop until three days in. I had deliverable's, but no way to deliver them! It was very frustrating and I felt like they were unprepared for me and had left me to fend for myself, with no support. Don’t worry I soon changed the starter process!
Having a detailed plan to introduce a new employee to key stakeholders, systems and processes cuts down on the time it takes to get a person up to speed, and allows you to get value from your new employee sooner.
Warmest Welcome
A welcome lunch on the first day/week is always good. Getting to know someone socially is always useful and it helps to build team rapport. I worked at one organisation where every month they had a welcome afternoon tea; you were tasked with speaking to at least three people you hadn’t spoken with before, it was a really good way to get to know people in different departments.
Implementing an on-boarding process is a great way to engage with staff before they even start and show them how valued they are as an addition to your team.