The First 84 Days
If you have ever seen a zebra give birth (at least on the Geographic Channel) you will see an amazing phenomenon. Once the baby colt is up on its feet the mother will block the youngster's line of sight to the rest of the herd. The mother will only let her baby colt see her stripes. The reason is that a very important imprinting process is going on in those first moments where the mother is building loyalty into her offspring. Once her pattern is ingrained in her young colts brain, the baby will forever know who her mother is. Those first moments are crucial.
In workplaces today there is a similar principle that takes place with new employees. For many organizations, turn over is greatest in the first 84 days. But there are some simple things you can do to increase the chance of employees making it through that probationary period.
Before they start
1. Welcome Wagon
Before they even have their first day on the job send them a welcome basket or a card signed by the entire team they will be working with. This will go a long way in making them look forward to meeting everyone. You can even send them a brief and fun bio of everyone they will need to know including fun facts like favorite food and movies etc. You can also have one of the team members give them a call to welcome them on board.
2. Questions Answered
Have HR or someone else phone to explain benefits and any other information they might desire to have.
Once they start:
Remember when you first started a new job? It can be a nerve-wracking experience to walk into an office when you're the "newbie."
3. Assign them a Buddy
Sometimes if a climber is a beginner he might be short-roped with a more experienced guide. Assign a buddy to the new employee that can personally make it their mandate to show them around and make introductions. The buddy can have a regular weekly lunch times during the first few weeks to help the new person adjust. Plus it's a good idea to have a friend right from day one, who they can talk to about any issues.
4. Advertise
Post a picture of the new employee in the lunchroom or common area with some fun facts about their likes, hobbies, and family. This can act as a great discussion starter. "You like the movie Ishtar? I thought I was the only one, let's grab lunch!"
5. Hi from the Top.
Have the CEO or President drop by to say hello and personally welcome them to the company. This always makes an impact on any new employee when the boss makes time to do this. People know the boss is busy and this gesture alone says a lot.
6. Team Lunch.
Take the new hire to lunch with the team. Everyone loves to go for lunch when the boss is paying. Relationships are built over food.
7. Inform the team.
Make sure everyone on the team knows the day that your new hire arrives. Give specific instructions on how you want the new hire to be welcomed.
8. Probation - Treat them as if they were not on it.
I understand why you have a probationary period but during it commit to the employee as if there were no such thing. If you wait until after their first 90 days to see if they are worth investing in, you may have already sent a message that may be heard to erase. If you do your homework on the hiring process, probation should not be a big deal.
9. Don't have a probationary period!
Here's a radical idea. Don't have a probation period. Tell your new hire that you believe in them so much that it's "Welcome to the team."
10. Clear your schedule
As much as you can on their first day plan to have a schedule with a lot of flex time so you can give them whatever time they might need.
11. Have a performance review after the first 30 days.
This will help still the insecurity of "I wonder how I'm doing?" that most new employees feel. A performance review after one month will also let you find out how they are adjusting and expose any needs that might need to be met.
They say you only have one chance to make a first impression. Take the extra time to make your new hire feel pulled in and part of the team. You went through all of that effort to recruit them, interview them, and hire them, you wouldn't want to lose them before they ever really got going.
Having staff attrition problems? Talk to our talent retention & HR consultancy in Singapore. Click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment