Thomas Stilp JD, MBA/MM, LLM, MSC
1 out of 5 employees leave within their first year. Will your new employee last 6 months?
Welcoming a new employee helps retention and builds employee engagement.
Here are five ways that a company can successfully bring a new hire on board:
Show your appreciation for new hires
Changing jobs feels scary, particularly if there is a probationary period. New employees want
assurance you recognize their talent and are excited to have them on board. Let them know that you are keen to see how they can shape the future of the organization. Everyone likes to feel valued.
Connect the dots
Show ‘em something bigger. It’s a key contributor to job satisfaction. Link the company’s mission,
vision and goals to the skills and experiences of the new hire.
Assign a relevant project right away
One of the best things a company can do is give new employees a project right away. Play to
their strengths and build their sense of competence. Allowing new employees to achieve success
will also help them build credibility with clients and colleagues.
Appoint a mentor and ambassador
A mentor can help a new employee reduce the stress associated with performing new skills and
duties. Appoint an ambassador as liaison to minimize the stress associated with
having a new manager, colleagues and customers. A good mentor, and work ambassador,
can help a new employee integrate into a company as quickly as possible,
and start to focus on results.
Don’t be cheap
The hiring process is expensive in terms of interview time, training and administrative costs.
When a new hire does not work out, the associated cost of legal fees, time and lost productivity
can cost anywhere from one-third to five times the employee’s annual salary.
The above steps are not free, but spending some time and money to prepare the new employee for
success is much easier than dealing with a wrongful hiring situation. Making employees feel valued, competent and part of something great will go a long way toward making them feel that they
have made a wise career move. The quicker they feel that way, the faster they feel engaged
and are able to contribute to your organization.
