Helping new hires 'hit the ground running'

Welcoming new employees into your organization

By: Tom Gegax

Like proud parents welcoming a new daughter-in-law, we warmly, if methodically, welcomed new employees into the fold. New hires acquired a “buddy” who gave them a tour of their new home along with the lowdown on the people and culture.

We introduced new associates with a group e-mail detailing their career history, family background, hobbies and interests. It helped break the ice with new teammates: “Hey, I love softball, too. What position do you play?” Those efforts built camaraderie, trimmed learning curves, and minimized unproductive, profit-draining downtime.

Assimilating new hires

We assimilated new hires into our coaching culture as quickly as possible. Their department head asked open-ended questions to draw them out, build rapport and establish healthy communication: “What do you see as the biggest challenges in your new position?” “What new skills would you like to develop?” “What can I do now to help?” Orientation sessions briefed new hires on what was expected of them — and what they could expect from us — regarding attitude, ethics and behavior.

Making new teammates feel valued from day one produced a big competitive edge.  As a service outfit, our success hinged on hiring and keeping great personalities. We understood that the first week is crucial — that’s when people decide whether they see a future with a new company. The time and money you’ll spend welcoming new hires is a pittance compared to the revolving-door cost of constantly hiring and training new employees to replace those who were unhappy and unproductive.

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Related Topics: Business insight, Tom Gegax

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