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First things first, congratulations! You completed the hiring process and your newest employee is about to begin their journey with your company. One thing that will always separate a successful company from an unsuccessful company is the onboarding process. Not only does a quality onboarding process help engage the new employee in the company and get them acclimated, but it also helps employee retention. Did you know that on average people change jobs every two years? To be able to save yourself from being a part of that statistic, we’ve put together the foundational elements of how to properly onboard a new hire.
Before the First Day
The first step of how to onboard a new hire is easy, but absolutely imperative. Getting prepared before the new hire’s first day will be pertinent so that you aren’t spending the entire first day on paperwork and administrative-type obligations. If you are able, make sure to have their workspace ready, accounts created, benefits package together, and any tools they will need ready for use.
Preparing your team for a new hire is also important. Does your team know when the new hire’s first day is? Do they know who they will be directly working with and reporting to? Making sure your existing team is all on the same page will prevent any sort of hiccups or issues when the new hire joins!
The First Day
As an employer, you will want to make your new hire’s first day memorable. You want them to reassure themselves that they made the right choice in joining your company. Simply put – be welcoming! You don’t have to put on a big performance, but creating an environment where new hires feel welcomed and excited sets the tone for their employment with your company. You will want to introduce them to the entire team, their supervisors, and anyone else they will be working with on a regular basis. This can be done at one time, or during a workplace tour. Tours are a necessity because everyone wants to know where to go for coffee – duh!
Once you’ve completed the welcome tour, you will want to get any paperwork still needing to be done out of the way, introductions to any training that will need to be completed, and have an honest conversation about the position and your expectations as an employer. If you followed our 5 Tips for Writing an Outstanding Job Description, then chances are this new hire knows exactly what this position entails and requires, but having a conversation around goals and expectations will help to make certain that everyone is working towards the same mission.
The First Week
The first week is all about incorporating your new hire into the company culture and helping them get acclimated to their new position. You should assign their first project during the first week, if appropriate, and encourage any questions they may have. At the end of each day for the first week, you might consider checking in with the new hire to ensure everything is going smoothly and all of their questions are being answered. You will also want to make certain at the end of the first week all administrative paperwork is finished so that you can mark that task as complete! No one wants paperwork hanging over their head.
The First Month
Regardless of whether you and your new hire interact every day, planning times to check in with them during their first month will be an integral part of their extended success. Your day-to-day conversations are probably going to differ from your official check-in conversations. During their first month, they will begin to handle more and more tasks and experience different facets of their position, possibly leaving them with questions or observations about their role. Holding regular meetings with your new hire will show you are invested in their future and their success with you and your company and that’s the ultimate goal, right? And always have some grace during this transitional time for the new hire because they will have questions and they may make mistakes, but being able to learn from those will be essential.
With most successful onboarding processes, it doesn’t stop after the first month or whenever the new hire is comfortable in their position. Continuing the onboarding process up to the 90-day mark can help you fully understand the new hire, their abilities, where they may need more help, and how they are working out in the position. It is important that you know your new employee and that they are comfortable enough in their role to give feedback and ask questions. Continuing the onboarding process will help with this!
We’ve seen a huge shift in the workforce over the last couple of years so employee retention has been a huge topic across all industries, not just in ag + western. As we mentioned above, knowing how to onboard a new hire can help alleviate employee turnover and in turn, help you become a more successful company! Who doesn’t want that?!
If you need more employer-focused resources from Of The West to help you make great hiring decisions, and keep your employees long-term, grab one of these articles!
