How should we onboard our new hires?

I’ve hired and onboarded dozens of employees. Over the years, I improved how we did this. This is what worked for me…

Recruitment isn’t done when your new hire starts work. It’s important to help them feel part of the team and test what they can deliver. This gives you the best chance of getting a good return on all you’ve invested in hiring them. If you really are too busy to spend much time with your recruit, then perhaps they should be reporting to someone else? But if you can spare enough time to onboard them well then it can make all the difference.

Probation

Most employment contracts will have a ‘Probationary Period’ – usually the first three months when mutual notice periods are often only a week. This lets you take time to assess how well they’re doing and gives them a chance to prove themselves.

Setting Probationary Objectives helps to clarify your expectations from your new hire and give them the opportunity to show you and your team what they can do. These should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. Sentences of the form ‘Do This by Then’ work well. Where possible, don’t rely on your own assessment of their success. Seek colleagues’ or customers’ opinions or use objective measures of progress and quality. Set objectives that are realistic to do in less than the Probationary Period. Include some potential early quick wins to help build their confidence and yours in them. And have a few more challenges up your sleeve if they exceed your expectations!

Preparation

It’s easy to forget about your new hire until they’re about to start work. But early preparation for their arrival will give them a better impression of your company and improve their chances of making a good start. It’s also easier to do while your memory of their interview is still fresh in your mind.

Once the new hire has signed their contract, or if necessary, an NDA, then it makes sense to send them company documents to read before they start work. Beware sharing anything too secret and check if they’re still under contract with a previous employer, particularly it’s a competitor! Customer facing documents such as brochures and manuals can help explain what your company does and save valuable time when they join (more on this below).

It’s also worth preparing any documents which you can give to your employee on their first day if not earlier. Probationary objectives and organisation charts can help them build understanding of their new employer and get easy questions out of the way early.

Introductions

Once your new hire has been through the essential induction processes, then they will need introducing to the team. In my view, walking around with them to visit the team members individually is the best way to do this. This forces even the most reluctant team members to engage with the new hire and shows that you value them and their role. More sociable recruits should not need much help, but shy ones may need more!

Announcing their arrival at a team or company meeting can help clarify how they will contribute. A social gathering at a pub or café is often a good way to help them get to know everyone better – if they feel comfortable with this.

In larger organizations your new hire may need help knowing who to ask for different questions, especially outside their immediate team. It helps if your IT system displays everyone’s role and their photos. But in many companies, even staff databases omit much information your new hire would find useful. It’s often worth compiling a document that explains not just their immediate objectives but those who can help them achieve these. This is especially important if they need to work with customers or suppliers outside your company. Building those early relationships may need your support, but it can also be a good test of your new hire’s initiative!

Training

Your new hire may need some formal or informal ‘On The Job’ training to become productive. It’s easy to assume that your company’s processes are intuitive and forget what isn’t written down. Formal training needs could be outsourced, but in my view doing it internally and informally is often better, because it helps build relationships within the company.

It can be useful to share sales brochures and user manuals to understand your product’s market positioning and use-cases. Especially for commercial and service roles, it’s also important for your new hire to meet customers and hear their feedback. Watching how they behave and build customer relationships is a great way to assess their skills. Understanding how their role helps your company succeed is vital to motivating your new hire.

Review

If your new hire doesn’t seem up to the job after several weeks, it may be time for a frank conversation. This might be a difficult meeting to have but can be better for your new employee too. Often, they can tell if it’s not working out and appreciate being able to explain how they feel. Remember that it’s not the individual that’s at fault – it’s the fit between them and the role you’ve hired them to do. This might be ‘your bad’ more than theirs. You may have other roles which they could apply for – but be careful not to make promises you can’t keep. A recent hire may also have declined offers from other companies to accept yours – so the sooner they know, the quicker they’ll find a role which suits them better. Don’t leave it too long!

Hopefully, your end of probation review is positive, and you can discuss your new hire’s progress and hear their thoughts. This is an opportunity to perform your first appraisal of their work, review their performance and revise their objectives. It’s also a good time to ask them about their career ambitions and how these might benefit your organisation. Combining opportunities for their personal growth with delivering a valuable contribution is a great way to inspire and reward your new hire.

If you’d like to discuss how to successfully onboard your new hire, please get in touch!