On-Boarding the New Employee: The Checklist – The First Month of Work

Senior Strategic Partner, Laura Dillingham, wraps up her series on the topic of OnBoarding with this great article that has specific advice on what to do during the first 30 days of a new employee’s time with your organization. So now your new protégé can swim, but you still need to keep an eye on them in the deep end of the pool. We hope you enjoy this week’s Power Idea.

The new employee is now beginning to get their legs under them. However, that doesn’t mean the supervisor gets to sing “Born Free” and then turn them loose. Now more than ever communication should be key. One of the best ways to communicate with your new employee is to schedule regular meetings with them. Use these meetings to address any issues or concerns the new employee might have. You can use this time to offer suggestions, advice and even constructive feedback on different tasks, relationships, assignments and projects.

THE FIRST MONTH:
1. Schedule on-going meetings to check-in.
2. Ensure the long-term goals have been explained.
3. Provide scheduled training and on-going reading material for personal and professional growth.
4. Ensure, along with the mentor, that they socially interact with the team.
5. Schedule a meeting approximately 60 days out with the single purpose of reviewing the onboarding process. Make adjustments as needed now and for future new employees.

Most organizations have a vision, mission, values and goals and objectives. The new employee should have copies of each of these and eventually know and understand them. You role is to ensure they know where they fit in the big picture. It is important they understand the mission they are working to achieve and the expected outcomes.

Once a new employee begins to fit into the organization, developing them becomes critical. Part of your role as the supervisor is to help them further their knowledge in their field. Offer suggestions on books, articles and magazines they may want to read. If seminars are available and encouraged share that information also. You can use time at scheduled meetings to discuss what they are reading and how it applies. Share what you took away from the materials when you read them. That shows the new employee you are staying current in the field and are someone they can go to for information. Encourage them to talk about what they are reading with other employees in the organization who may be reading the same things.

Provide opportunities for the new employee to interact with the team. If interaction takes place employees will learn how to work together better. If there are activities that take place outside of work, but sponsored by the organization, this may give them an opportunity to engage with their co-workers in a less structured environment. This can lead to building good relationships and increase their enjoyment of their job and their ability to work better as a team.

Once your new employee is a part of the organization and feels more comfortable in doing their job it’s time to review the onboarding process. Evaluate the process, including the steps that worked and those that didn’t work and make adjustments as needed. Ensure you include the mentor and Human Resources in this evaluation process. You should have been talking to the new employee from the beginning and gotten their input as the process progressed. Once you’ve gotten the results, modify the process including the checklist and get ready to help the next new employee join the organization and begin their journey to success!

HPISolutions hopes you have enjoyed this series on Onboarding the New Employee. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or if we can be of any assistance. Our goal is to become your trusted advisors.