Finding a new hire takes a lot of time and money. In fact, it costs an average of $13,996 to replace an employee in private industries, according to the Center for American Progress. In some industries, it can cost as much as double the salary of the departed.
That’s why you want to take the time to turn your new hire into a great employee. Here are ten things you can do to transform your new hire into the high-performing employee of your dreams.
1. Prepare for the first day
Fifty-six percent of new hires think about leaving when there are problems with internal processes. New hires are excited about their new jobs, so they arrive on the first day ready to work. It’s important to be ready for the employee by having everything ready to go. Don’t wait until after the new hire gets there to find a place for him/her to sit and update the passwords on their computer. Instead, be sure to have everything prepared and ready to go when your new employee arrives.
By showing how organized you are, your new hire will feel as though they will also need to be that way, which is a great lesson on the first day.
2. Listen to them
According to the same study cited above, 66 percent of new hires will consider leaving their job when they feel their manager doesn’t listen to them.
Employees want to feel as though they are part of a team. They want to be able to share their ideas and feel validated. It’s important to ask new employees what they think and congratulate them on their good ideas so they know that they are an asset to the company. Doing so will make them more comfortable sharing ideas in the future and increase their engagement, too.
3. Don’t throw too much at them too quickly
New hires need to not only prepare themselves mentally with knowledge, but they need to be emotionally prepared as well. Throwing them too much at one time can overwhelm them and make them feel as though they won’t be able to succeed. Often, this kills any motivation the employee had.
The best way to handle this is to set milestones and provide small batches of training material at a time. Once the employee has completed a batch, he/she should receive another one, and so on and so forth.
Each accomplishment will be a motivator to the new hire, will help them to feel accomplished in their work, and will let them know that they’re on the right track.
4. Explain the mission of the organization
According to a Gallup survey, employees who feel a sense of purpose where they work are more likely to stay at that place of employment. From the start, managers should explain what the goal of the organization is and how the employee’s job contributes to that goal. It’s important the employee understand his/her position in the process of the goal and how his/her productivity matters. This will be what drives the employee and gives them pride in the success of the organization.
5. Implement a rewards system
It’s hard being a new employee. You can make it feel much better by rewarding new employees as they hit a goal. For instance, in sales, a new employee may receive a bonus if he/she reaches a certain level in sales.
For those in other industries, goals may be more about task completion. Once one task is completed, the new employee may receive a small reward. The rewards can be increased as tasks are finished.
By the way, a rewards system isn’t just a good idea for new hires but for all of your employees. The more appreciated and rewarded they are, the less likely they will want to leave and the more motivation they will have to work hard.
6. Don’t wait to assign projects
It may be tempting to hold out on giving your new hire a project right off the bat, but it’s important that you do not wait. Be sure to give them relevant work right away, and link the projects to specific goals so they feel their work has meaning. It may not be a major project, but if they’ve been training in a certain area give them a shot to put their learning into practice.
Put faith in your new employee to complete the task, but be sure to offer guidance along the way. They’ll appreciate the support, and you’ll be able to keep an eye on how it’s coming along. After the project is complete, provide plenty of feedback. Positive reinforcement, along with suggested improvements for next time, will give them a good idea of what you expect in the future.
7. Find the new hire a buddy
Coming into a new setting can be stressful for anyone. Make it easier by buddying the new hire up with someone in your organization. The buddy provides a sense of comradery and support to your new hire, and is perfect for answering questions about the workplace that the new hire may not be comfortable asking their boss.
Be sure to give your employee the resources they need to help your new hire, and consider giving them an allowance to take the new employee out for lunch so they can get to know each other. Developing a relationship with their new mentor is key to the new hire’s growth and development within the company.
9. Keep hours consistent
Employees have personal lives they need to tend to outside of work. It can make it difficult to do that if their hours keep changing or if schedules aren’t flexible. New hires aren’t as invested yet to deal with fluctuations in hours as easily. If they are told they will work business hours but end up having to stay late every night or are asked to come in early, they may be caught off guard. That can start to frustrate employees and make them less motivated to work hard.
Ways to do this:
- Keep the hours as consistent as possible.
- If there need to be changes, try to make them small and check with the employee to make sure it won’t cause too much trouble.
- Oftentimes just being cordial enough to ask can impress an employee enough to keep his/her frustration low.
10. Stay present
It’s important to set up regular meetings to discuss the new hire’s performance. Each meeting should have discussion on what’s going well, what can be improved, and any issues the new hire is running into.
After the couple of weeks, your new hire will likely seem to get the hang of things. Don’t retreat back to your office yet, though. Employment is just like dating, and you need to be committed to your employees’ happiness and success if you want to keep them around. Be there for your new employees, and seasoned ones, too. It will help morale and keep you in the loop of how your team is performing, which will help your employees grow into the great team members you want – and need – them to be.
Keep these tips in mind as you welcome your new hire to your organization. You’ll likely see a difference in the way he/she acts and how long he/she stays with you. Remember, the extra work in the beginning with new hires will pay off in the end when you don’t have to find replacements.
Author: Sarah Landrum is a freelance writer and career blogger sharing advice on finding happiness and success in the work world. You can find her dishing out advice with a side of wit on Twitter @sarahlandrum and her career advice blog, Punched Clocks.
