Don’t lose the investment of a new hire to a lackadaisical orientation. Set the stage for success. Lay out what the firm expects in the job. The more clearly that’s communicated, the better the relationship and the more likely that person is to be successful.
A good orientation assimilates the newcomer into the firm. What’s more, it makes people feel welcome so they stick around. But leave a new employee alone in a new job and the relationship falls apart very quickly. The orientation itself can last anywhere from two hours to two weeks. It can cover everything up to formal training in safety and harassment. But at a minimum, it needs to cover these elements.
A long list of review items
Set up a checklist of items to go over. Talk about them even if they are already in a manual or handbook. If the firm has taken the time to print them, they are important enough to discuss. Also, if the new hire is later terminated for some violation, the firm can show that everybody had full knowledge of what was expected. The main topics to cover are these:
The money and benefits. Outline the salary, insurance, and retirement benefits. Explain how bonuses are given. Outline other nonfinancial benefits such as employee assistance programs.
The facility. This includes elements such as parking, security, building access, emergency evacuation, and the procedures for reporting hazards or accidents.
The firm and its policies. Tell about the firm’s history and mission statement. Also, give the new employee a written outline of the corporate structure and the chain of command and explain where to go with what type of problem. Include here too the code of conduct, dress code, policies on ethics and confidentiality, and the policies on drug use and harassment.
Work time. Review the working hours and the time allowed for lunch and breaks. Explain the attendance requirements and what to do about late arrivals and how to call in sick. Go over the time allowed for vacation, holidays, and bereavement, and tell how to request time off.
The job. Review the job description and along with the requirements, explain how the job affects the rest of the office. New employees need to see the big picture of how their jobs fit into the firm’s business objectives. At the same time, tell what professional publications the individual should read, what seminars are available, and what professional organizations to join.
The billing. For the billers, give the billing expectations and show how to report time.
Performance. Tell how performance appraisals are conducted and when they take place, and also explain the discipline procedures.
A mentor. The first day is also the time to give the new employee whatever how-to manuals are needed such as computer or billing manuals. Along with that, assign a peer mentor to help the new employee learn the job.
Office, people, and phone numbers
Next is a tour of the office plus introductions. Show where everything is located – copier, time clock, first aid kit, lavatories, break areas, and so on. With each introduction, explain the purpose of the new employee’s position and how it will affect the other individual. Conversely, tell the newcomer about the other persons’ jobs.
Afterwards, give the new employee an in-house directory of phone numbers and e-mail addresses. And along with that, make sure the new staffer knows how to reach the administrator. Give the cell number and email address and tell that person to call even after hours.
Goals for the first week
Then immediately set short-term goals for learning the job, perhaps to master a software by a certain time, and schedule a date to review the progress. That first week is the best time to set goals, because the job is still new. Capitalize on the fact that new employees are excited about their jobs. Then to keep momentum going, meet with the employee at least once during the next four weeks to review the progress. During those meetings, ask questions such as
What did you learn last week?
What will you focus on next week?
Are you meeting your goals?
What areas are giving you trouble?
What do you want to do better?
How can we help you? Do you need more training?
Have you learned the software system?
What have you done to learn X skill? Y skill?
Have you learned about our client base?
Have you read the publications we recommended? signed up for the seminars? joined the organizations?
Those meetings are critical to success, because they show the firm is serious about the employee’s progress. Equally as important, they show quickly if a new hire doesn’t suit the job, which besides avoiding the grief of firing someone later can save money. Most states don’t provide unemployment compensation if someone is let go within 30 days of being hired. So if the firm can find out early that there’s not a match and can end the relationship before the 30 days is up, it can save a lot of unemployment dollars.
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