Onboarding For Success
When hiring a new start in your business, a lot of focus is put into the interview and selection process - and rightly so.
Last week I shared The Two Biggest Mistakes CEOs Make When Hiring - and How to Solve Them to help with this stage of the hiring process.
But once you’ve got the right person ready to start in your biz, how do you KEEP them there?
It all begins with your onboarding process.
While the specifics will depend on your business and the role your new hire will be taking, the induction process of your new start is critical to set the tone right.
Your new hire should enter the workplace feeling energised, excited and knowledgeable, and the way you bring them in over the first few weeks and months will help you achieve that.
Over the years, my clients have consulted with me on how to implement a smooth and successful onboarding period for their new staff.
If you’re ready to update or implement some structure into how you successfully onboard your team, then read on for my best tips.
Make non-negotiable time in your diary
One of the most valuable things you can give your new hire is your time.
In the first few days, keep allotted time available to make your new employee feel welcome, and if you’re not going to be around, make sure they know what they need to do and who they can go to if they need help.
Open communication is key
Explain the training plans and timescales with your existing team. That way there are no surprises if your new employee is unexpectedly out of the office on training, or unavailable at certain times.
(And if they’re a remote worker, there are some great strategies here to help with that.)
Similarly, communicate regularly with your new start. As well as scheduled 121 meetings to find out how they’re getting on, make time to informally check on how they’re feeling.
The aim here is to make sure that they feel supported and like they’re one of the team.
Have clear, defined roles and responsibilities
When you bring in a new employee, you’ll have discussed the responsibilities of the role with them during their interview. However, have you made the rest of the team aware of what those are?
As a new start joins the business, it’s a great time to bring the whole team together and confirm the expectations and who will be responsible for each element.
It’s also important to set achievable and measurable goals for each team member, including your new hire. This article can help you to build an effective workflow to support employees to meet their - and your - goals.
Closing Thought
Gone are the days of a quick half-day induction process - your onboarding is the first step in highlighting the culture of your business for your new hire. Taking the time to do this stage right will result in an engaged and excited employee, one who will happily be an ambassador for your company.
What does your onboarding process look like, and will you implement any changes?
Let me know in the comments!
If you could use some help fine-tuning your induction programme for new hires, why not book a call with me and let’s chat.
Selina Johnson — Business Support Expert, solution seeker and freedom fixer — helps successful coaches, consultants, speakers and entrepreneurs from across the globe to scale their businesses, make more money and achieve faster, sustainable results without compromising their time.
Over the past 16 years, she’s supported high profile individuals like award-winning architect Dame Zaha Hadid DBE, Sunday Times Top 20 Most Influential Entrepreneurs In The UK Sháá Wasmund MBE, former Co-Director of the Serpentine Gallery Dame Julia Peyton-Jones DBE, and Russian billionaire Timur Sardarov.
Today, she teaches brilliant entrepreneurs just like you how to implement her simple methods that result in BIG wins in their businesses — including the dynamite delegation strategies, time management hacks and mindset mastery she’s used to halve her hours, double her income and ditch her commute, leaving her free to create and live the life she loves.