And you can do still more by taking small but impactful steps.
Gioia offers up a winning step-by-step formula for making
orientations work, both for you and your new hires:
1. Welcome new hires as honored guests. Have the
president or top executive personally introduce them to everyone in
the company (if small), or if larger, to everyone they'll be
working with.
2. Make sure new hires fully understand how their work fits
into the company's big picture by letting other co-workers
explain their jobs and exactly how the new hires' jobs affect
theirs. Essentially, your staff orients the new hires, and, in
the process, they're taking the first steps toward creating the
working relationships they'll need further on down the
road.
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3. If orienting five or more new hires at the same time,
include something in the orientation they can learn and use on the
job. Examples include a two-hour course on time management or a
short course on grammar or letter-writing. Why? Research is
emphatic in showing that when employees feel they're learning
on the job and their employer has invested in expanding their
knowledge and skills, they're that much more apt to give their
job highly favorable ratings.
4. Include career-pathing where possible by scheduling visits
from workers who started in the same positions as the new hires and
are now in higher positions within the company. This lets new
hires see the next steps on the career ladder, motivating them to
do well at their current rung.
5. Use orientation as an opportunity to reinforce the
decision to take the job by acknowledging that the new employee
made the right decision in joining your company. Tell new hires
you're going to help them stay marketable, give them the
opportunity to grow and all the tools and equipment they need to be
successful.
6. Give them something tangible (with the company logo) that
makes them feel good and that they can use at their desks in the
office. Like what? Try a paperweight or even a mouse pad.
It's a little gesture, but it fosters a certain sense of
belonging, and that's crucial in getting new hires off on the
right foot.
In addition to these first-day or first-week gestures, don't
forget the important job-related instruction that will help cement
the relationship. Gioia offers these tips:
- Clarify expectations you have. Clearly tell employees
what's expected of them andguess whatthey'll probably do
it. What do you need to do? The direct supervisor needs to say, in
writing, here's what we're going to do for you as far as
benefits, helping you grow in your job, and so on, and here's
what we expect of you: Be on time, give 100-percent effort, and the
like. Have the new hire sign it, and you (or the recruit's
supervisor) should sign it too. That document in effect becomes a
performance contractand everybody likes living up to
contracts.
- The supervisor and the new hire should work together to develop
a personal growth program for the individual. Where does the new
person want to be in three months, six months, a year? For example,
if the employee is in the hospitality field working at the front
desk, he or she may want to be cross-trained for the concierge
position. This shows the new hire that the company cares about
working toward his or her personal goals.
Are these steps worth the effort they'll take? Consider
this: How many hours did it take you to hire this new staffer? You
know how hard it's become to recruit good people in today's
tough marketand that's why there's no longer any question
that putting in a few steps at the front end to make the
relationship work is just good sense.
"By building positive attitudes and strengthening
commitment in your new hires, you'll create a strong foundation
for future success," says Hiam. It's truly that
simple.
Contact Sources
Alexander Hiam & Associates, (413) 253-3658, http://www.streetwisemotivation.com
Joyce L. Gioia, (800) 227-3566, http://www.herman.net
The Hire Tough Group, (877) HIRE-TOUGH, mkleiman@hiretough.com
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