Challenges of Recruiting in a Growing Business – Part 2

This is article 2 of 3 in a series. Article 1 covers “How to appoint the best talent to work for your company”, and Article 3 will cover “Performance Appraisal and Performance Management”.

The New Team Members First Day

Ensure your new team member receives an appropriate induction. This will assure they have the right tools to succeed and grow with your company. The first day for a new team member can be very stressful and overwhelming. As a leader in a company, you should aim for a new team member to finish the day feeling inspired and encouraged. Taking this sort of initial action can set the tone for their entire career at the company.

Preparing for the First Day

To achieve a successful first day, start with the simple administration tasks to ensure that the new team member has everything set up before they arrive. Including their desk/office, computer, email, phone, logins and passwords and anything else that is required to help them settle in. Remember to inform your IT Department as soon as possible. This gives them time to order or set up all the necessary equipment.

A week or two before the team member’s start date, everyone in the company (or if it is a larger company, those in the appropriate department), should be notified of the new starter. Make an internal company announcement. Include a few details such as which department they are joining and what they will be responsible for. Don’t hesitate to share information about them, for example where they come from and what their previous experience was. That will allow team members to get to know the new starter and encourage initial conversation when they begin.

Planning the first couple of days and providing the right training and support will help the new team member to assimilate to the organizational culture. Giving employees structured training and guidance will increase their productivity, which is, after all, what the goal is.

On the day

From the first point of contact, (usually the receptionist), through to the introduction to the team, make sure your new team member has a positive experience. It is important all the team members are welcoming. Allocate someone who will help to make the first coffee. Show them all the facilities and share lunch spots around the area to make them feel ‘at home’.

We all know that the first day in a new workplace consists of processing a lot of new information. Make sure that your new team member doesn’t walk away feeling overwhelmed.  A simple way to do this is to engage in casual conversation before diving into company processes.  Give a very brief run-through of what matters most and what the values and expectations within the company are.

A good outcome for a new team members first day is that they are not left to figure out on their own what their role is in the company. A team leader should state what is expected of the new member. This ensures that business values and goals are communicated. Make sure you appoint someone that the new member can go to whenever a question may arise. Additionally, going through upcoming training and what will be taught in the coming weeks will be useful in preparing them for the role.  Now, the team member can end the day knowing exactly what is expected of them. Ultimately feeling confident they are in a position to give their best in the company.

At Kilimanjaro, we have numerous training options for our client’s new team members, to get them up to speed on their MYOB software.

Kilimanjaro feels it is essential to love your work. The best way to encourage that is through an organized and welcoming culture from Day 1.

• Read more tips on how you can make your work environment a better place by visiting our love your work page.
• To gain more insight into strategies for a successful business, click here.
• Get to know more about us, check out our team page.

Article 1 covers “How to appoint the best talent to work for your company”, and Article 3 will cover “Performance Appraisal and Performance Management”.