So, you have found the perfect person to fill the position now what?
Recently have been working with businesses on their inductions while explaining how this shapes the employee/s you have just brought onboard.
Here are a few great tips to really make them feel welcome and ensure they embrace the workplace culture, while explaining their position to them and showing the level of professionalism you have in your business.
The week before they start have all the IT login sorted, mobile phone ready, swipe cards and access codes and an email to them to explain where to park, who will meet them and where.
On the first day, on their desk have a handwritten letter from you to them welcoming them to the business and personalizing their first impression, this is a powerful first step.
Have ready to go the welcome pack, with the company directory of people’s positions and a description on what they do, how to best contact them, email or mobile. In their welcome pack the staff handbook, any employee benefits programs, their name badge or ID, a FAQ’s about the company and a step by step guide with screen shots on how to log in at work and at home.
Having an induction plan also helps to spread out the information that they need to know and avoids information overload. The induction checklist should take them through all the workplace information they need like
· WHS,
· Safe Work Practices,
· HR and workplace culture
· Workplace Incidents and Accidents,
· Workers Compensation,
· Payroll,
· Rostering,
· Leave and paperwork required for any of this,
· Computer Systems and acceptable use policy ,
· Social Media policy and any other policy that relate to their role.
Using the position description, you can embed this into the induction and sign off as you go. Also, who they need to meet and spend quality time with to get a greater understanding of the business. It gives them opportunity to build relationships in the business quickly.
Take some time to introduce them to their workplace mentor and explain how this mentoring process works. Book in some catch up meetings for the next few weeks to review progress and identify any points of issue. These meetings should be at one week, one month, six weeks eight weeks and final one at the ten-week review point. At this ten week we should be signing off on their probation, extending their probation or if it is not working giving them two weeks to improve or part ways with this person.
Probation should be a time where we are looking at their fit to the business and our culture and they have a look at us, and both decide it this will work for both of us. Throughout this probation we should be pushing this person to see the whole role done to the standards we require. Many businesses do not use this probationary period correctly and will end up with someone on their staff that does not fit the organisation.
Sometimes it is better to admit you made a mistake and start the process over again then keep someone that is not to standard.
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