Roll Out The Red Carpet for New Employees
With some employees leaving their new job within the first 90 days, Is it time to treat them like superstars?
Remember your first few days at your present job?
Were you excited? Nervous? Did you worry about your ability accomplish the
tasks given to you or the impression you would make on your new co-workers?
Perhaps you were concerned about the impression your new co-workers would
make on you.
You would not be alone if you were feeling a little lost during your
probationary period. Many people do. Since you know how it feels to be “the
new kid on the block” you may be the perfect person to welcome other new
employees to the fold. Regardless of your job title, you can help to make
the difference between whether a new recruit stays or leaves within the
first 90 days.
Studies have consistently shown that each time an employee leaves it costs
between 50% - 150% percent of that employee’s salary to replace them.
Companies often find that much of their voluntary turnover happens within
the first 90 days of employment. If this is the case in your company, the
first thing to look at is your hiring process.
Are you hiring people who fit with your company’s culture? As Joan Brannick,
Ph.D. and Jim Harris Ph.D., authors of Finding and Keeping Great Employees
say, “Employees can find a job anywhere, but they commit to and want to
remain with an organization whose culture they connect with.”
If you are convinced that you are hiring the people who “fit” with your
company, then it may be time for The Red Carpet Treatment. Traditionally, a
red carpet is laid out as a welcoming symbol to dignitaries in other
countries, or superstars attending award shows. Why not treat your new
superstar’s arrival as something truly special by setting out your own red
carpet? Here are some immediately applicable ideas you can use to welcome
your new recruit to the fold.
Before The First Day
Send a letter welcoming your new team member to the fold. Include an agenda
for their “premiere day” and an invitation to have lunch with the boss.
Dwayne Clarke of Aegis Corporation sends letters to the family members of
senior executives he brings on board. He welcomes the family to the company
and lists specifically the qualities their loved one possesses that got them
the job.
Be sure to set up realistic expectations of what the job entails. As
Brannick says, “If you are losing people during the first 90 days The
problem could be that you are creating unrealistic/inaccurate expectations
during the recruiting/hiring process that are NOT met during the first 3-4
months on the job.”
Prepare your current employees for their new co-workers arrival, asking them
to be particularly encouraging and supportive.
Survey your current employees about their first day on the job. What would
have made it special? Make preparations using their suggestions.
The Premiere
Be ready for your new superstar’s arrival. Don’t leave them waiting out in
the hallway alone for 15 minutes while you take care of other business.
If you, as their supervisor, do find yourself involved in other things when
they arrive, appoint an ambassador to welcome the new recruit with a smile
and a cup of coffee.
Why not literally lay the red carpet out? Go ahead, have some fun!
Plan to spend the first part of the day with your new person. Go over the
agenda you sent, make changes as needed – plan your day together.
Make it clear this is a special day. Serve refreshments and add a welcome
sign to the front door.
Post the person’s photo in the employee break room. Having a book or board
with other employees’ photos (or at least department heads) will enable
him/her to get to know names without being put in the embarrassing situation
of having to ask twice.
Have your new team members work area prepared. Do they have all the office
supplies they need? How about a list of contact phone numbers? Flowers or
balloons on the desk or locker for the first day would be a welcome touch.
Provide free lunch for a week
Offer a form that the new employee can voluntarily fill out, listing their
hobbies and favorites. In other words, find out who the person is as a human
being. Then be sure to introduce him/her to other co-workers with similar
interests.
Orientation
Take a look at your orientation process. Are you guilty of showing boring
training videos and calling that orientation? Strive to make your training
process more effective. Use real people. Take your time. A good orientation
can not be accomplished in 1 day.
Make it fun. Turn your orientation process into a game show format with
candy and prizes. Send your new recruit on a scavenger hunt, asking them to
collect signatures of other employees.
If you absolutely must show those boring training videos, at the very least
serve popcorn and a soda.
Or - make the videos fun. According to Nuts! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe
for Business and Personal Success by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg, new
Southwest Airlines’ employees get treated to a video taped rap song led by
former CEO Herb Kelleher during their orientation.
During the first week, check in periodically to make sure the new employee
is comfortable performing their job duties. Listen to and address their
concerns.
Be Friendly and Patient. Use diplomacy when correcting errors. More
importantly, notice the things they are doing well and praise them out loud.
Ask your new recruits to evaluate the orientation process and strive to
continually improve it.
Co-worker Support
Remember the Welcome Wagon. When a new neighbor moved into a community, a
smiling face would appear at their door with a basket of goodies and a warm
welcoming smile. When a new employee joins your company they become part of
your community. Why not bring the Welcome Wagon concept back on the job?
When people work together for a long time, there is a tendency to get close.
This is a good thing, except that it makes it difficult for a new employee
to feel part of the group. If employees are leaving your company within the
first 90 days, exit interviews may reveal that they simply did not feel they
fit in. Current employees can do a lot to change that perception and ensure
the new “community member” feels immediately welcomed.
Establish a red carpet committee. These are current employees who volunteer
to be ambassadors for new employees. Hold a brainstorming session and come
up with as many ways as you can to make the new person feel special during
their first 90 days.
Put together a “Welcome Wagon Basket.” Include the fun stuff – a list of
nearby restaurants, fun toys for the office, snacks, humor, etc. Get
creative. Have one of the Ambassadors deliver it.
Assign an Ambassador to your new employee. Post a sign that states “Your
Welcome Ambassador is…..” at their work station. The Ambassador should
proactively check in with the employee for the first 30 days, invite him/her
to lunch and introduce him/her to other co-workers and customers.
Ambassadors should be upbeat and positive about themselves, the company and
the job.
Host a monthly potluck or breakfast to welcome new employees to the fold.
Ask co-workers to make a positive memory for new employees. For instance,
provide post it notes™ that co-workers can write welcoming phrases on and
stick them all over the new person’s work station.
Encourage every employee to develop their own personal Red Carpet Policy.
Spend a staff meeting coming up with as many ideas as possible for welcoming
new people.
Evaluate your current employees on how well they welcome new employees.
Once you’ve welcomed a new employee securely into the fold, invite that
person to be part of the Red Carpet Committee and spread the enthusiasm.
Finally, ask yourself, when the 90 days is up how do we keep that red carpet
out. Do we continually reward and recognize employees? Do we strive to care
about them as human beings and not just employees? Do we continually ask for
feedback and try to improve? As co-workers, do we refrain from gossip and
try to work out our differences in an amiable way?
If you are hiring well, laying out the red carpet and keeping it out for the
long haul, you may find that employee turnover lessens and superstar spirit
just grows and grows. Never miss an opportunity to say – “Welcome. We’re
glad you’re here.”
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