If you are the one being hired : you do a lot of homework to make the right first impression. If you are the one hiring, do you still prepare, to make the right first impression with your new team member ?
As part of a new candidate’s induction, The HR teams in most organizations take them through the standard audio visual of the company overview, have them sign the joining documents (where the new hires will be signing acceptance on dozens of HR policies), handover laptop forms/ ID cards/stationery kit etc. That of course, is a good start. But the HR induction is far from sufficient, for the new hire to feel comfortable in the new environment.
As the team manager, here's the portion that can be done by you - to complete the induction into your team.
Meet and Greet
On the first day, imagine going into your new office : only to find out that your manager is unaware that you are joining today; Worse yet, the manager is completely busy and he does not have the time to meet you. You end up sitting the full day with just the company of your phone. It doesn’t help the first impression or it doesn’t help your ego either, does it ?
Good managers make sure that they meet and welcome the new colleague in person. “Thank you for joining us, and looking forward to working with you”, on the first day goes a long way in building the much needed rapport with your new colleague.
Even if travelling on business or if they are located off-site, they make it a point to call the new joiner on their first day, and they make sure someone is deputed to take care of the new joiners first few days.
Introduce [The people, The place and The processes]
Much of anyone’s career success depends on networking within the company. “Getting Things Done” depends on your network. Good managers are quick to kick-start the networking opportunities for their new joiners, as it sets up the platform for the new joiner's (and the manager’s) success.
It is worth the time investment, to take the new candidate through the org chart of the company, and to take him, desk to desk, to introduce team-mates, the manager’s boss, the who’s who of the organization and all relevant stakeholders that he will be working with. If there are superiors/team mates on other parts of the the globe, set up video conferencing rather than a voice call to introduce the new joinee (Attaching a face to the voice, helps quicken the networking process).
The “Introduce” section is not just about introduction to people : but also to the process and facility.
If your employee handbook does not have the clear procedures on administrative tasks, take a few minutes to guide the new joinee on: the process for getting laptops/ID cards, booking official flight tickets, expense reimbursement process, applying leaves, where to download payslips, where to get your car parking access cards etc; If your employee handbook is clear enough, you can save your few minutes by skipping this section of the induction program.
It is a good idea to step out of office, for a quick tour of the facility/office : to help the new hire with getting around the office - find the water coolers, the snack vending machines, the lunch hall and the loos. The facility tour/walk , as a spin-off, also provides a more casual environment for the manager and the new hire to break some more ice and build some rapport.
Business / Function overview
“On-Job-training”, has been one of the most abused terminology. It is not uncommon for new joinees to be put on a tasks, without being briefed about the end to end overview of the business/function they are in.
A good induction program should begin with the end-to-end overview of the business/ function and should clearly indicate the role of the new joiner in the process. The business overview and function overview would have been part of the hiring discussion, but not in full detail. Taking through the business overview and function overview, provides an opportunity for the manager to clarify his expectation from the new joiner.
What to expect in 30-60-90 days ?
The first few months in a new job is always an uneasy period, as it is common for the new hire to be uncertain about how he is progressing, and if he is meeting the expectation of the manager. Settling this nerve and making him comfortable in this uneasy period is the priority for a manager.
A Gantt/timeline showing the clear expectation and the deliverables expected from the new hire : can be a good starting point to make him comfortable. For example, the expectation for the first two weeks, can be : Get introduced to the product and people. The deliverables can begin with smaller tasks within his function, and can gradually ramp up to ownership / full fledged responsibility.
Having a very clear orientation plan on day 1 , showing the deliverables at the end of 30-60-120 days : also conveys an underlying information to the new candidate : that you were prepared for him, and you are taking his progress in the company seriously. Regular feedback at the end of 30-60-120 day period on the progress they have made will help the new hire, correct course, as applicable.
For someone who has decided to invest his career with your company and your leadership, it is only fair that you invest time, in preparation to get him oriented and inducted into your team.
Would love to hear how your organizations handle the new hire’s first day !
(This and more articles on Inform-Inspire.blogspot.com)
Disclaimer : Images sourced from World wide web, and are used as samples for Educational purpose only.
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