Five steps to getting the most out of new starters
1. Empower your new recruits
Giving new starters responsibility can be daunting, but employees who feel more empowered are more engaged with their work and are more motivated.
This can also allow the employee to save time and complete tasks quicker, as they don’t need to contact a manager or another colleague before making a decision. Giving employees more responsibility across the company can prove to be a much more agile way of working and can be beneficial for the whole company.
On the flipside however, this may lead to an employee making more mistakes. For a new starter, this might not be such a huge issue as it could actually help them learn and progress.
Of course, common sense should be applied in this situation, particularly if your new starter is dealing with sensitive information or something which could affect the company in a huge way.
The benefits of empowering your new starter can be significant and help boost their motivation and performance.
2. Set targets and expectations
You’ve recruited your new employee because they were the best candidate for the role. As the best candidate, they were most probably the most ambitious and determined to succeed. With this in mind, showing that you share the same ambition can go a long way.
Work with new employees to set targets and ask them what their ambitions are for their role. If necessary, wait until they’ve had some time in the role to get a feel for it and to understand the processes of the company before they decide what their targets should be.
This way, they can get a more realistic view of what they and the company are capable of achieving. As with any target, make them SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely). Set a date for when you’ll review the targets and expectations you’ve both set, maybe as part of a performance review.
3. Show that you care
Waiters who hand out sweets to customers after a meal are much more likely to receive a tip. The same principle applies in how you treat your employees.
Although this is important for new starters, this is also something which can be applied to your entire workforce. Show that you care and they will return the favour.
For smaller companies, taking the time to introduce a new starter to everyone at the company not only helps them feel more integrated, but also shows that you care about making them part of the team.
Setting out a plan for their progress and communicating this to them in a clear way shows that you want to help them progress and learn. Setting up regular meetings and progress checks also shows that you care about their progress. This is also beneficial for the company as they can spot an underperforming employee sooner.
4. Get everything set up and ready to go from minute one
This again goes some way to showing your new starter that you care, however it also allows them to hit the ground running and get to work straight away. Waiting for a desk or email to be set up can not only be frustrating for a new employee but also leads to lost time.
Ensuring things like a work station, email, stationary and security access or passes are all set up and ready for their first day is very important.
5. The little things really make a big difference
Take the opportunity to show your new starter that you really have thought of everything. Point out to them where everything is, the processes they need to follow and how to access what they need.
Endeavour to answer as many of their questions as possible before they get chance to ask them. If they do have questions, make sure they know where to direct them. Make sure that your new starter feels absolutely comfortable with asking questions.
Taking these few simple steps will help to ensure your new starters settle in and begin to add value to your business right from the start.
This article was provided by Caboodle.
In partnership with Caboodle
Caboodle is one of the UK's leading employee benefits companies.
