First impressions can dictate whether a new employee will stay long-term at a company, in fact, studies suggest that approximately 60% of staff chose whether they will stay or leave an organization during the first month of employment. The challenge for many organizations is ensuring that managers are equipped and ready to support and build the confidence of the new hire, turning the first few months of employment into a foundation for growth. We’ve put together a few questions for you to consider and discuss with a new employee as you strategize how to create this platform.
Questions to consider for the new hire:
What are the key projects/goals for the new hire within the first 30-90 days?
How does the role of the new hire support the other areas of the organization?
How is this role positioned, as part of this department to contribute to the company’s goals and strategy?
How does this role specifically support my department/organization’s short/long-term strategy?
What is the low hanging fruit that will enable this role to quickly demonstrate value to the organization?
Actions to take:
Review business/department goals/objectives with the new employee.
Review the new employee’s job description & their fit in the organization chart, including the direct and indirect relationships they have with other roles.
Schedule meetings with the new employee to introduce them to key colleagues
Schedule training or explain department processes & systems
Schedule on-going touch base sessions
Ask for feedback on processes and ways to contribute
By the end of the first few weeks the new employee should be clear on a few things:
Performance expectations, including how they will be evaluated, time of reviews and merit eligibility. (More than a single conversation is required to set clear, mutually agreed upon expectations)
Company & department strategy, mission, goals and key Initiative.
How the role will add value.
Who they will interact with and ensure all introductions,
Establishing short-term/long-term goals.
How you will assess performance going forward.
Your new employees proved themselves to you during the hiring process – don’t forget to support the new employees when they’re getting started.