We have yet to define a better employee training onboarding process. New employees tend to start and get thrown into the mix. I know that’s not right. How should we do things better, so we can get new employees started right?
Thoughts of the Day: Better employee training is easier if you think of it as a process rather than an event. Divide up the work of onboarding. Build tools and checklists to help ensure everything gets done. Use the onboarding process to assess the employee. Think of it as the difference between orienting someone to the company and starting a long-term plan for success.
Better employee training
It takes a while for employees to get on solid footing with their new employer. There are people to meet, forms to fill out, rules to learn, culture to understand and fit into, as well as a job to master. There’s a rush of activity, from finding out where the desk is, to filling out legally required paperwork. Learning where things are kept, how things work, meeting peers, bosses and subordinates – don’t try to master it all the first week.
Start with employee training requirements required by law. Mix in requirements that are optional but can be problematic if overlooked. Focus on things that will contribute to long term retention. Have a plan to get through all of them, within a defined timeframe. Know who is responsible for getting the new employee through each piece.
Have a team of people involved on onboarding. One person is responsible for a tour of the facilities. Another goes over paperwork. Each department has someone who gives a tour appropriate to the level of the new employee. Someone talks about formal rules within the company. Another provides an orientation to the company culture. People in the department hiring the new employee should lay out a schedule for introductions and job training.
Planning and executing initiatives
Fill out legally required forms right away. Include non-compete and non-disclosure forms along with the w-2 and other government forms. Ask the new employee in training to initial a copy of the offer letter, and put that on file.
Clearly layout company rules and protocols. Explain the rules to an employee who breaks them. What’s the company’s start time? Policy for taking sick days? Rules about who to call if you’re not going to be on time? Who to go to if your boss isn’t available? Know how to escalate issues. Social media and computer use rules? The employee manual should cover this. A crib sheet handout with essential information can also be helpful.
Talk with employees about the company overall. What’s the culture? What’s the history? What are the goals? New hires are easily overwhelmed with information. Boost retention by giving the new hire documents to refer to on their own time.
Learning needs and business goals
Test periodically. Assess how much information has been retained or needs to be repeated. Keep track each day, each week, how the employee in training is doing mastering basics. Is the individual demonstrating the skills represented on the resume? Require on-the-job training. Is the individual making connections with other people in the company? Better employee training shows a good fit.
Every jobholder needs a training plan. Start with the basics. Check-in weekly. Should training go faster, or slower? Set goals for what to master within 1 -3 months. Make a list of outside training, mandatory and optional, and plan time off from the job to get that training.
O you build an onboarding process, you can use it as a tool in recruiting new hires. You’re looking for people who want long term success with your company. Show them your company is serious about doing its part to make that happen.
In the interview process, make notes on what the candidate is looking for in terms of growth and development. Once hired, pull out those notes and use them to craft the individualized portion of the onboarding process. Go from generalized introduction to the company to specific areas of interest, so that each employee gets an overview of what could be in store.
Looking for a good book? Successful Onboarding: Strategies to Unlock Hidden Value Within Your Organization, by Mark Stein, Lilith Christiansen
