As leaders we have so much going on that when we hire a new employees, we may not take the time to get that individual integrated into the group. This is a shame and may cause retention issues, a perception of the organization not caring about it employees, and/or the inability for the employee to get up to speed quickly to be productive in the new role.
Have a process
If leaders have a formal process to integrate new employees into their group, it is more likely to happen. It doesn’t have to elaborate, but is has to happen. When leaders take the time to get a new employee acclimated to the group, they…
- Increase the chances of retaining that employee
- Enable for the team to absorb that new member
- Enable for the new employee to get up to speed quicker, thereby contributing to the bottom line sooner
Here are a few ideas to help leaders get their employees acclimated sooner:
- Be in the office the new employee’s first day and introduce them around. If the employee is virtual, arrange to meet them at the headquarters or at a location near them (an initial face-to-face is always nice!)
- Take the new employee to lunch on day one, and arrange for them to have lunch with fellow co-workers during the first couple of weeks.
- Arrange for a mentor – someone who can help them adapt to the culture and show them the ropes, answer any questions and explain how work gets done (including the informal channels of working and communicating.)
- Create a 30- 60- 90- and 120-day plan. Ensure weekly one-on-one meetings to check in on progress toward achieving each stage of the plan. Ask how the new employee is doing, how she/he is adapting to the organization and answer any questions. You might check in with the mentor on occasion too!
- Have a whole team get together – focus on team building, enabling for the new employee to begin to establish strong working relationships with his/her peers. Collaborate with the group on how they will all work together.
These are just a handful of ideas to help you acclimate a new employee into the group.
Develop a strategy and a plan to do so. Get the team engaged in developing a strategy and a plan. You want their participation.
Your goal is to make the new employee feel welcomed and comfortable with their choice to come work with you and the organization. The sooner the new employee gets “absorbed” into the team, the more effectively the team will work together to accomplish goals and the more productive he/she will be overall.
