Set your employees up for success from the first day (and keep it going long after).

Setting your new hires up for success from the very first day they set foot in your business can also help you with long-term retention.

We are all familiar with situations in which people (including maybe you!) start at a new company after excitedly accepting a new job only to find out you don’t get the support you need to do your job. And that support should start from the very first day. 

Having processes in place to help with on-boarding, continued support, feedback, and having the right people managing employees all goes a long way in how employees feel right from the start. If employees feel supported initially you will find that your talent stays working, for you.

On-boarding makes a difference.

Creating processes that make it seamless and easy for your new hires to get started can really show them that your business is invested in them and excited to have them as part of the team.

This feeling of support right from the start helps create and solidify your great company culture and gives a new hire a sense of support, care, and attention.

These feelings go a long way in creating internal cheerleaders – the people that work for you that work to help keep others happy and motivated, help support business initiatives, and help recruiting efforts.

On-boarding processes are there to help get a new hire familiar with their job role, the company and culture, and the overall way the business is run as well as give the new hire the tools they need to do their job efficiently.

Effective on-boarding opens the communication lines.

Continued support can keep employees engaged, motivated, and happy. And part of that continued support is open and clear communication.

Continued support in the form of communication can look like a few different things and we encourage you to consider incorporating a few of these ideas into your communication channels.

First, create standard career paths for each of your job roles and be sure to clearly communicate these career paths to your new hires. Show them how they can advance in the company and discuss this road map as you touch base throughout the probationary period and through out each year.

This leads us to our second point – have touch bases and reviews and have them often.

It’s not enough to do just a yearly review. Consider adding a few more both formal and informal touch bases each year.

While it seems daunting to consider spending this much time on talking to your employees, trust us when we say this kind of open communication from managers makes a huge difference in if employees feel supported, heard, and validated.

Third, encourage open communication between departments. It helps to promote a team feeling across all departments (and avoid the “us versus them” mentality that can sometimes be present in businesses) and also helps to promote an environment where everyone feels their job impacts others and knows that what is good for them is good for everyone else.

If they are doing their job efficiently and effectively, others can do theirs efficiently and effectively as well and that’s best for business and customers.

Lastly, have an open door policy for all managers in all departments (and that includes senior leadership). If an employee has a problem or concern they should know how and where to voice it.

Make sure the right people are managing others.

If you’ve ever had a bad manager, you know exactly what we are talking about. Some people may be great employees but aren’t equipped to manage and lead people effectively.

Good employees leaving because those managing aren’t effective or empathetic can mean more money out of your pocket.

It’s costly when someone leaves and it’s even more costly to replace a great employee – so don’t let bad management be the reason good employees leave. 

A big tell of having the wrong people in managerial roles is turnover. Is there certain departments that have higher than normal turnover? If so, look to see who manages that and if they are effective.

Creating a company culture that your managers exemplify and operate under creates happier employees. If managers aren’t cutting it, it may be time to consider a changing of the guards.

Let GTR help.

Whether it’s help recruiting, hiring, or support in uncovering ways to help keep your best employees working for you, GTR is ready to help.

The GTR Team achieves real results by understanding the ever changing labor market while executing the best recruiting practices to maintain a competitive edge for our clients and their hiring needs. Contact us today to Build A Workforce That Works.