It’s always difficult to replace an employee who has left your company. When they’ve worked together for a while, team members are often able to develop an efficient workflow that works for the group. Most employers would prefer that employees stick with them for the long haul, but the fact of the matter is that they don’t, particularly the younger generation that makes up a large part of the modern workforce. According to research, as many as 70 percent of Gen-Y workers, also known as Millennials, leave their first jobs within two years.
When someone leaves, it disrupts that flow, and it can cause the team to struggle for a while. Even hiring a replacement doesn’t always solve the problem. It’s not just a matter of filling an empty space. New employees don’t come ready-made, “fresh out of the box.” They generally take some time to adjust to the new work environment, and your team will of course need to adjust to the new team member as well.
Sometimes, a new hire will have some trouble integrating into the team, which can cause productivity to suffer. We’ve gathered together a few tips for teams bringing on new members to help ease the integration process:
1. Be Clear About the Requirements From the Beginning
This goes back further than just the new employee’s first day on the job. Make sure that the job description you post gives an accurate description of the job requirements. All too often, workers accept a job only to find shortly after they begin working that they’ve signed on for something completely different than they expected. Whether you’re posting a job yourself or hiring a recruitment firm to do the heavy lifting for you, make sure that the job is accurately represented. Recruitment process outsourcing is no excuse for pulling a bait-and-switch on the employee, and doing so can have negative consequences in the end.
Once the employee starts on your team, make sure your expectations for each project are clear as well. Remember that a new employee doesn’t have the benefit of working within your team’s structure before, so he or she can’t be expected to understand how you handle each circumstance. Give clear instructions in the beginning to make sure that they understand. They can’t be blamed for not knowing something unless you tell them.
2. Invite Questions
Questions are one of the best ways to learn, so make sure that your new employee knows that questions are welcome. New workers are generally reluctant to ask too many questions, anyway. If you’re unable to answer a question immediately, let the employee know, but also let them know that you will get back to them. If you need to refer them to someone else, do so, but not as a way to simply avoid the question entirely. If it seems like you are avoiding their questions, the new worker will be less likely to ask more questions in the future.
Don’t just settle for telling them that they can ask questions, either. Actively invite them. Ask them what’s working, what’s not working, what their biggest challenges are, and what they think could be done better. By asking questions, you will open the doors of communication and encourage them to ask for clarification when they need it.
3. Train Them With Your Tools
Your team uses a wide variety of tools for communication, scheduling, workflow management, and more. Don’t assume that a new employee, even one who has shown himself to be clever, will understand immediately how they work. Train your new hires on each of the tools that you use. This training doesn’t need to be a week-long ordeal; it may just be a matter of sitting down with them for a few minutes to explain each tool and how it fits into your work process. Just don’t assume that they already know. Even if a tool is common in the business, they may have used an alternative at their previous job.
4. Provide a Mentor
It’s difficult to fit in at any new position, and having someone around to show the ropes can be a valuable asset. A peer from the team can help the new employee to understand the culture and learn the informal “rules.” Assign a team member who has good social skills and is genuinely motivated to see the new hire succeed. And yes, that means that this should be a formal assignment. Doing so will help to ensure that the mentor sticks to their role and the employee isn’t permitted to slip through the cracks.
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