Photo via @huntersrace
If you've just hired a new employee, congratulations! You're on your way to building a strong team. But now that you have a new team member, it's important to make sure they stay on track. There are a few things you can do to help new employees stay on track during their first few months on the job. Here are four tips to get you started:
Provide Regular Feedback
Providing regular feedback is crucial for helping new employees stay on track. Checking in with them regularly will not only help them understand how they're doing, but it will also give them the opportunity to course-correct if necessary. To help with this, you may wish to use OKR software. OKR stands for objectives and key results and it can help a new employee see exactly what they’re doing well, what they’re aiming for and what they need to improve on. OKR software makes the process of giving feedback even easier because the metrics are easy to measure and understand. If your company isn’t using OKR software yet, consider looking at a site like profit.co. Profit's OKR Software keeps coming out on top vs the competition, so they may be someone you want to consider when comparing your options.
Set Clear Expectations
One of the best things you can do to help new employees stay on track is to set clear expectations from the start. Explain your expectations for the job, as well as what success looks like. This way, new employees will know what they need to do to be successful in their role. Often, a manager will give a brief explanation of the job and then leave the new employee to get on with it themselves, but this usually leads to confusion and a poor understanding of what is actually going on. The new employee will spend most of their time trying to make sense of chaos instead of doing what they were hired to do, which isn’t an efficient use of time. Make sure things are explained in small stages over a fortnight or so – this will help to make expectations clear and will lead to better work.
Help Them Connect to Their New Team
Another way to help new employees stay on track is to help them connect with other employees, both inside and outside of their department. This will help them feel more comfortable and supported in their new role. One way to do this is to encourage them to attend company-wide events, like happy hours or holiday parties. This can be overwhelming for some people, so another way is to pair them up with a mentor at the same level as them within their department. This should be someone you know to be capable, friendly and confident in their own work. This way, they'll have someone to go to with any questions or concerns without having to worry about asking the wrong questions or getting embarrassed.
Encourage communication
Finally, it's important to encourage new employees to come to you with any questions or concerns they have. This way, you can help address any issues early on and keep them from getting off track. Encourage open communication by making yourself available and approachable. Let new employees know that they can come to you with anything they need, whether it's help understanding a task or just someone to talk to about their transition into the company. Managers should be someone an employee can trust to have their back, so if you know you come across as intimidating or uninterested in employees concerns, you need to change your approach as soon as possible. Communication works both ways, so if your new employee knows you can be trusted, they’ll come to you automatically.
To Conclude
Keeping new employees on track can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. Do your best to support them and establish a positive, professional relationship with them and you’ll be well on your way together. Remember, nerves can severely affect performance when a new employee starts their job, so keep this in mind and cut them some slack – they need to know you’re human and not just monitoring their stats and figures.
By following the tips above, you can set your new team members up for success.
