I don’t think we’d be speaking out of turn to say that the core element of all businesses are its people. So, it goes without saying that its super important to make sure that employees feel nurtured and supported within the workplace to achieve their potential which will therefore maximise productivity.
With the expansion of the Ena HR and Training team it seemed a perfect opportunity to focus on the importance of the new starter process and ensuring that employees feel valued and supported as they begin their journey in your business.
We all know that the true cost of investment in a new employee goes beyond the recruitment costs (which let’s be honest, can be crazy). Trying to balance the scales on being busy and being too busy to induct and train is a difficult one but if the balance can be found, at that crucial induction stage, the rewards will be felt later down the line.
Some top tips for that crucial first month:
Plan, plan, plan!
o Ensure that employees have everything they need to hit the ground running.
o Consider a new starter box. This can be filled with everyday stationery items but delivered to look like a gift.
o Ensure that you invest in a solid induction plan. This will mean that the induction is split between several people to ensure that everyone can continue with their daily workload too.
o Review this induction to ensure that everything has been covered and, more importantly, understood. Remember everyone learns at a different pace and some areas may need more investment.
o Keep the plan as a dynamic document which will constantly adapt and evolve over the induction period.
o Consider a buddy system. This is in addition to their line manager so that the new employee can ask those ‘settling in’ questions without having to always go to their manager.
o Ensure that the new employee meets with the HR team asap, ideally on day one. We can start to break down stigmas on HR and the employee also has a friendly face to refer to if needed.
Face to face
o Try, if possible, to make some of the induction face to face. Even if this is teams’ calls, this will personalise the induction and build relationships.
o If possible, get the employee to meet the whole team ideally in a more social, relaxed environment. Perhaps a team lunch or event in the first week.
Vision and values
o Whilst new employees have already taken the step and joined the company based on their research and feelings, a recap on the company visions and values to foster the company culture wouldn’t be a bad thing at this stage.
o It would be great if this is delivered by someone within the leadership team to demonstrate leading from the top.
Finally, whilst it is often awkward being the newbie, a little icebreaker email (and picture!) which can be emailed to the business on first day can be a great way of introducing the new starter in a relaxed and personal way.
If you need support with you onboarding process we can help!
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