The new hire comes in for the first day on the job, resolved to do a great job, to make a difference, to prove that the company made a great hiring decision, and to make a great first impression to everyone in the company. So, with a deep breath, she gets out of her car and walks briskly through the door.
Introductions are made. Hands are shaken. Forms are filled out. Manuals are distributed.
No matter whether the new hire is a seasoned veteran or a part-time high-school student in their first job, this is a critical crossroads both for the new person and for the company. In the first few hours, the newest hire intuits the culture of the company, meets the people she will be working with, and starts understanding her role and how she will be judged, and she starts judging the company, her manager(s), and her co-workers.
If the company is properly prepared, the new hire will be starting along the path of transformation from raw recruit into a productive member of the team. If the company’s hiring and on-boarding process is really a process of “winging it”, the new employee will start being demotivated, losing enthusiasm and confidence by the minute, so don’t let de-motivation set in.
To start the new hire on the path to becoming a successful employee in the shortest amount of time, a successful orientation should be well organized and well-orchestrated to build confidence and competence in the new person. When this period is over, new hires should understand the culture of the company, its competitive advantages, its position in the marketplace, the products and services the company sells (even if they are not in a marketing or selling position) and the way the company responds to clients, prospects, and the public.
In effect, the on-boarding process is marketing the standards of the company so that employees will be able to quickly grasp and understand their individual contribution to the company’s overall success. The goal is to have this person, like all people in the company, be an integral part of the customer satisfaction team – no matter what their job description says.
An effective and organized orientation should emphasize the company’s focus on the satisfaction of the customer; otherwise, new staff ends up doing their job focused on their own agenda and satisfying the wrong person. The on-boarding process is an internal marketing task and, if successful, will improve the performance of the company.
About the Author
Larry Galler works with professionals, small-business owners, contractors, and entrepreneurs to increase sales and profits through better, more creative marketing and effective administration systems.
