You can’t afford to hire the wrong person. Workforce expansion is costly. That’s the plain and simple truth. It’s always been challenging for those doing the hiring. Get it right and hell yeah it was worth it! But get it wrong and you miss out on the chance to grow. You also end up wondering if you would have been better to never have bothered at all.
You’ve invested money, and time. You pulled out a surge of energy you possibly didn’t think you had to spare. Then your carefully selected candidate bails. They don’t turn up, or they leave without notice …
“What you do has far greater impact than what you say” Stephen Covey
And you? You’re left footing the bill for a failed process. You can’t afford to hire the wrong person because replacing them can cost up to 3 – 4 times their annual salary. The loss is particularly painful when they’ve stuck around long enough for you to train them well. If you can’t afford to hire the wrong person, let’s make sure the one you’ve hired is the right one. If you can tick the box of these four things in your onboarding processes you will have everything you need to keep your new hires for a long, long time.
Culture
Your company culture is the foundation of everything your business does. It’s what your staff say when you’re not there. It’s what your customers or clients say when they’re not with you. What do you stand for? And how does that work in the real world? What are you known for? Your values are what your culture is based on. You bring them into the very foundation of your onboarding process. Then you mix in an awareness of how you want your business to be perceived. You make sure the two are always aligned and BAM!!! You’re off to a flying start. Light years ahead of your competition in terms of keeping good people.
Outcomes
You’d think that was obvious right? Everything in business is about achieving outcomes! But like the nose in front of your face, if you stop looking directly at it, you stop seeing it. So set some very clear, specific goals for your new hire to achieve early on. The sooner they start striking up wins, the sooner they’ll invest personally in your company. Loyalty is a hard habit to break. So get in early and keep it going with short, sharp and specific goals. If possible, negotiate goals with your new hire. They’ll double down on their investment if they feel responsible for the goals they have set.
Administration
When hiring new staff, keep your admin to the barest minimum and make efficiency your number #1 priority. A disorganised approach to onboarding admin creates stress and confusion. When things are not set up well, it results in people forgetting things, doubling up on tasks, or making mistakes that could have been avoided. Make sure everyone understands exactly what they need to do. Use checklists and systemised, documented processes to make sure that everything runs as smooth as silk. Then watch the motivation and confidence of your staff soar.
Team
And finally, make sure your new hires are given the opportunity to invest in your team. Building social rapport is vital for long lasting engagement from your new employee. It improves professional development, personal investment, and company culture. The ideal is to employ people who love coming to work because they like the people they’re working with. The more people they work well with, the more they’ll feel like their work matters. So build that into every part of your onboarding process, from before their first day right through to celebrating their first anniversary with you.
You can’t afford to hire the wrong person. You can definitely afford an investment that turns your new hire into the right person. Treat onboarding holistically and don’t skimp any of the details. Make sure your systems reinforce your culture and your people will reinforce your systems.
