A new person has joined your team. Either you have hired them from the outside or you have chosen a current employee for promotion. In both cases, an orientation is needed to put them on the right path towards success in this new endeavor. We will reveal three steps that are useful for getting that new team member off to the best start possible.
Lead and Guide
Even a current employee who has been promoted can’t hit the ground running without the right shoes. This person will be highly motivated and enthusiastic. Keep the momentum going by preparing them to handle all aspects of their new position. But, resist putting the cart before the horse. Begin with the basic and necessary steps for new hires to any position. Even a promoted employee may not be familiar with some aspects of the company as they pertain to the new position. It is your job as manager to provide, up front, all of the guidance and information to put that employee at ease. This increases their confidence, success and productivity.
Three Important Steps
It’s time to get going. Even before you interview for a position, set out a plan for orienting whomever you hire so they can start immediately.
- Get Acquainted – There is a lot to be done when someone is newly hired or promoted. There will be an orientation process. This will be amended for a promoted employee so let’s just deal with a new hire right now. Explain the orientation process from start to finish so they know what to expect. This includes HR paperwork for taxes and such. Make sure employees understand benefits, job schedule, salary, payroll deductions, vacations and the like. Review the company organizational chart. Who do they report to? Who reports to them? Cover all policies and then tour the office, making introductions as necessary.
- Getting Focused – Identify the job that the new employee will be doing. This encompasses their job description but more importantly job expectations. Inform them of what they will be expected to do on a daily basis. Set goals to help them stay focused on what needs to be done as far as their team and within the company as a whole.
- Getting Trained – This is where you let them in on the training aspect of the orientation process. How will you expect their skills and talents to be utilized? Provide resources that they can use in preparation. Be available should they have questions or need additional assistance as they learn their place within the company. As they learn the course and get acclimated to their new environment, meeting expectations will be easier to attain.