Yesterday we took a look at a few tips for getting new hires up to speed efficiently. Today, a few more tips.
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By DeLynn Senna, Robert Half® Finance & Accounting
- Provide regular feedback and an open-door policy.
Don’t make new hires wait until their annual review for an assessment of their performance. They need praise and constructive criticism at regular intervals. Schedule frequent check-ins during the first 90 days to recognize successes and pinpoint areas for improvement.
Most new hires, especially members of Generation Z, crave consistent and frequent feedback. Envision this time as a training ground for your company’s future top performers. Encourage them to come to you with questions or issues.
- Be on the lookout for warning signs.
In an ideal world, every new hire would be a perfect fit. In reality, that’s easier said than done. Even if you’ve avoided making hiring mistakes, sometimes you just don’t know whether an employee will work out until they’ve been tested in everyday work situations.
During the first few months, be on the lookout for red flags, which include:
- Absenteeism
- Missed deadlines
- Poor performance on assignments
- A negative attitude
- Conflict with coworkers
- Complaints
If you notice any of these characteristics in the first few weeks, don’t wait to see if things improve. Take action immediately if you want to salvage this hire. Poor performance could be an indication of either inadequate training on your part or a lackadaisical attitude on the employee’s part, but you won’t know until you dig deeper.
Meet with your new hire and construct a plan for improvement—with benchmarks. If there’s no improvement over a set period of time, you’ll have to cut your losses and terminate the new hire for the good of client relations and team morale.
It takes time and effort to get new hires off on the right foot. By providing them a clear road map, you and your team can help new hires quickly acclimate to the workplace culture and become contributing members.