Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think so.
Recently, I was listening to a group of older workers complain about how useless they thought some of the new hires were for their organization. A common refrain was “people just don’t have the same work ethic that they used to have.” A little while later I was listening to one of those “new” people complaining about how hard it was to “fit in.” The new hire said nobody was taking the time to help them and accepting the job was a big mistake.
It’s expensive to hire people. During the hiring process, everyone else has to shoulder more duties and responsibilities. The interview and selection take longer and can stretch out for days, weeks, and even months. When someone is finally selected, training begins: some people “make it” and some don’t.
Fortunately, more and more organizations are realizing the importance of onboarding procedures to help with the situation described above. Having a process in place for the first day or days isn’t enough. Disappointingly, many of those same organizations seem to adopt a “sink or swim” approach within those first days and weeks and subsequently lose promising new hires. Frustration builds up, many new hires simply quit, and the entire process begins again.
I have seen organizations with very high retention rates of new hires. What makes these organizations successful is their preparation, their planning, and their adaptability. Their onboarding process evolves and extends from before a new person is hired to the time they are fully trained.
These successful organizations begin with a living job description that isn’t just a “single-use” tool. Job descriptions are part of all performance conversations. They are kept updated and ready for new openings and unexpected departures. These organizations use the job description to build and tailor their interview questions ensuring their interviewers find applicants with the desired skills, attitudes, and behaviors. Organizational chemistry is built into the process. Everything helps to establish and enhance the “culture” of the organization and helps solidify the organization as a great place to work for new and existing members of the team.
As soon as a hiring decision is made, successful organizations implement their onboarding preparations. Depending on the position, business cards are ordered, computer user codes are created, and staff and public announcements are made. Everything the new hire will need is prepared for their first day of work. Additionally, training materials are reviewed and prepared; the human resources documents are prepped, as is a training plan for the first two weeks. In addition, successful organizations set out their longer-term training plans to move the new person from a neophyte to a fully trained member of their team.
The training and integration from basic onboarding to fully trained associates might take from a week to months. Successful organizations are this prepared: they have a plan and they execute and fine-tune that plan with each new hire.
On the new hires’ first day, to reflect the importance of the new hire to the organization, their new immediate supervisor and a senior manager greet them at the start of the workday. Before their first day, each new hire is briefed on when to arrive, where to park, where to enter the building, who to meet, and what, if any, dress code is in effect.
The onboarding trainer is also introduced and all the basic documentation is completed. The plan for their first day is reviewed, as are the plans for the next week or two.
Successful organizations realize that there are always “gaps” between their desired culture and the actual culture in their organization. The trainer responsible for the first two weeks should be aware and take steps to explain existing attitudes and behaviors. Depending on the types of “gaps,” in the organization, the trainer will equip the new hire with the appropriate skills. For example, the trainer will explain how to deal with “crusty old-timers.” Examples of comments might include, “That’s not how things really work around here, or “don’t make us look bad. In successful organizations, this “gap” is usually quite small.
Successful organizations also appreciate that some newer and some younger hires have never been shown the basics. It is not uncommon for newly hired to really understand how to act in a specific professional environment, or even what a good work ethic looks like. The assumption that everyone knows what they should do when working is very common amongst people who complain about new hires.
During the first two weeks and the initial months that follow it is important to teach new hires “how” people in your organization work. It is equally important to teach about making mistakes. Mistakes are going to happen and the reactions of coworkers and supervisors need to be anticipated. Successful organizations are patient and understanding. Successful organizations do frequent and casual spot-checks with new hires, as well as regular performance conversations monthly during the probationary period.
Successful organizations strive to make each new hire feel like they can “make their new job, their own.” It is almost impossible for a new hire to step in, and do any job perfectly or as well as the previous person without effective training, and experience doing the new job. Yet many less successful organizations and their people seem to expect their new hires to “step in” immediately. This unrealistic expectation only leads to failure and frustration for the new hire. Additionally, those “crusty” older associates feel even more justified in their negative opinions of new hires, and usually, a repeat of the hiring cycle begins all over again.
It has been my experience that most “new hires” want to succeed. New people are excited and want to do a good job. With proper planning and execution with good onboarding combined with a detailed development plan to give them the skills, attitude, and behaviors the organization will have a contributing associate and be well placed to achieve their goals.
A person’s final weeks are equally important. As we have mentioned successful organizations manage hiring, onboarding, and the first weeks and months to give their new hires all of the tools they need to succeed. Successful organizations set themselves apart from their competition equally as much as the way they plan and manage the time when a person is preparing to leave their organization.
When a person resigns from an organization, normally time is allocated for the completion of outstanding projects and tasks. When this isn’t possible, the person should provide notes and files for the person in the organization assuming responsibility for their tasks and duties, even if just on an interim basis. Lists of passwords and contacts as well as notifying suppliers, customers/clients, and internal contacts of the transition. Many successful organizations include the departing person in the process of hiring and training their replacement. Conducting a thorough exit interview can reveal helpful insights as well.
All of the above plan components help the organization manage the transition; truly successful organizations also take special care to help the person who is leaving. They address the reality that, in some cases, when a person gives their notice, many organizations and co-workers treat the leaving associate differently, almost as if they no longer matter or even exist. A person who is leaving can still contribute to meetings and assignments, right up to the time of their departure. In many cases, these people feel like they were a vital component of the organization and that should be maintained to their last day and beyond.
Sometimes the initial reaction to a person leaving is shock, disappointment, and even a sense of betrayal from the organization the person is leaving. Successful organizations appreciate that leaving is just a natural part of the evolution of the organization. Resigning is often very difficult for the person leaving: they feel stress, anxiety, and even guilt. Helping the departing person diffuse those feelings is a hallmark of successful organizations.
People come and go from organizations for an infinite number of reasons, while they are part of the team, organizations need to appreciate, nurture, and develop them right from the time of hiring. When those same people leave successful organizations there is the same level of planning, care, and respect.
I think that those organizations that tend to have high turnover, lower morale, and less success than they expect could learn from these lessons.
I might be wrong, but I don’t think so.
Good luck,
Paul.