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Take Time
to Develop
New
Trainees |
No
matter how thorough your training process or how engaging your
workplace, new hires — even the most experienced — are often
overwhelmed. You can ease the way by assigning seasoned
staffers as coaches.
Basically, coaches work shoulder-to-shoulder
with new employees — fielding questions, adjusting workloads,
and walking them through the basics of their jobs.
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 Coaches aren’t just hand-holders. They
can also help new recruits become comfortable — and
productive — more quickly. They serve as vital links to
your company’s "culture" or special way of doing
things.
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Here are a few paths to an effective
coaching program:
Assign coaches after your new recruits have
completed training. It’s a good way to ensure that new
employees quickly apply the training to their jobs.
Give coaches the extra time to spend with new recruits.
Adjust their work schedules accordingly.
If you’re short-handed, train senior employees to coach
groups of new hires.
Top managers may not want to put extra time and
effort into a viable coaching system but consider the payoff:
Studies have shown that coaching increases retention rates
significantly and improves customer service.
What’s more, skilled employees are likely to
remain on board a lot longer if they feel that you understand
their jobs and you’re helping them achieve their goals.
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Train
With a Step-By-Step Orientation Another way to reduce
the pressure on new employees is with an extended
orientation program. This enables you to present
information about your company in bite-size pieces that
new hires can readily absorb and understand.
Regardless of the size of your business,
try to avoid cramming paperwork, tours and lectures
about company philosophy into one hectic day. Keep in
mind that most new employees are hoping to fall in love
with your company.
Here's a quick
orientation guide to help them:
Set
aside an entire day for paperwork, security checks and
other administrative matters. This gives new hires
time to review employee manuals, company rules and
benefit plans.
Reserve another full day for tours of
the workplace and for initial meetings — perhaps
luncheons — with coworkers and supervisors.
After your recruits have spent a week or
so on the job, schedule another session to review
company philosophy, incentive programs, and the types
of training and career paths they can pursue. By this
time, the recruits are likely to have substantive
questions about their jobs and company policies.
A gradual — and thorough — introduction
gives employees the impression that you want them to
have a long and productive career with your firm. After
all, the honeymoon phase is the best time to
plant the seeds for staff loyalty.
Your guidance
and attention reassures new employees that you care
about their integration into the company. Instead of
feeling overwhelmed or forgotten, they’ll feel nurtured
and
valued. | |
