So you hired a new employee, what now? We already know that replacing a position is expensive, so once you find someone great you want to keep them around. Replacing a position in your company can cost between 18-30% of the salary of that position and can be a daunting task. Why are we talking about retention in a training post? Because proper training is the number one way to retain talent at your company. In fact, training is so important for retention that 69% of employees will stay at a company at least 3 years after being well trained when compared to their poorly trained counterparts. It can be a huge mistake for the longevity of your company to think that a new employee will learn on the job and not give them any sort of formal training. From the C-suit to hourly, every employee at your company should be properly trained.
Before Their First Day
Ease your new employee comfortably into their new role. Do not let them show up overdressed and not knowing where to park. Before their first day, send out a welcome email with all the information they may need for that first day. Let them know the dress code, a little about company culture, what they will be covering, should they bring lunch or do most people eat out, location and start time. This goes a long way to ease frustrations of a new employee and gets the comfortable right off the bat. If they are new to the area or relocated for the position make sure you introduce them to the whole team.
Another thing you need to do before your new employee starts is to talk to your current employees. Make sure they are all aware of what the new person’s role will be so no one is stepping on toes. Be sure all the current team members have clarity on their responsibilities and how they will work together if needed. Having everyone on the same page always reduces frustration.
Get everyone ready for the new employee by delegating the time and resources that will be used. Make sure everyone who will be involved in the training will have enough time in their schedule and choose the right people for the job.
On the First Day
Have a clear plan for the first day, and share daily goals with your new hire. It's best to take them aside into a conference room, somewhere they can be comfortable learning and get acclimated. Embrace your digital learning tools, a nice welcome video can go a long way. Make sure all your tools are up to date and have the most recent information. If you are new to the training process or having another manager do it, then ensure that detailed notes are taken on what does and doesn't work. This probably will not be the last person you ever hire, and you want to constantly be developing your training program to be the best it can be.
It may be a good idea to have a conversation with your new trainee about what learning style works best for them. Some people are visual learners, others are hands-on. There are so many different learning styles but each individual knows what works best for them. If they are a hands-on learner, still take the time to go over everything that you need to visually but maybe speed that section up a little. Training is not one size fits all.
Keep detailed notes on all the questions they ask, this can lend insight to things that have been left out of your training program and you can go back and revise it for the next person. Your program must be tried and true to get it to perfection.
Keep Checking In
Arguably the most important part of training is the follow-up. You should develop a system of checking in with your new hire that gradually weans off. The first day, you should be checking in on an hourly basis, during the first week check in once a day, and during the first month check in once a week. You do not want to bombard them with checkups, but subtly let them know they have resources if they need anything or have questions. A new hire should never be confused about who to go to for help. Use positive reinforcement and let them know they are doing a good job. This will build their confidence in the company.
Once they have been there a while and become acclimated, sincerely ask them how their onboarding process was. This will be your best opportunity to improve, and you can get feedback while it is still fresh in their mind.
Every employee you have should be continual learners and the job education process should never stop. Once you have perfected your onboarding program you may get motivated to develop more advanced programs. Motivate your employees to be lifetime learners by developing internal advanced training modules. Take note of who takes initiative in these as they may be your top talent. Training does not have to stop after the first day, week, or month.
If you are struggling to put together an onboarding and training process, perhaps it's not your forte- and that's completely fine. You can outsource the project and have fantastic videos, and interactive training tools made specifically for you and your team. If you need funding to support your training programs First Union Lending is a great choice, with 9 different loan options we can tailor one that's the best fit for you. Click here or call 863-825-5626 for more information and to get started today.