I’m not sure who it is harder for – a new hire or for the organisation when it makes a new hire. One thing is for certain, everyone is hoping for the best as the company believes this new employee is going to do well, and surely the new staff member wants to succeed when he or she joins the company. Unfortunately, success is not always the outcome.
With almost 40 per cent of firms planning to hire in this quarter, we need to explore how to keep “you’re hired” from becoming, “you’re fired” or “I quit”. Let’s look at how you can make new recruits succeed.
Employee success does not come simply by signing the contract. In too many companies, the time, attention and investment come to a screeching halt, like hitting a brick wall, just after the offer is made. While the recruiting process does matter, what you really need to give attention to is what you do after they join, in other words what you are doing to help your new team member succeed.
Joining a company can be like jumping on a treadmill that is already in motion. I’ve had moments while running that I had to step off the treadmill for whatever reason. Instead of slowing it down or pushing pause, I just stepped off. Then comes the focused task of getting back on while the treadmill is in full motion.
This is much harder than it seems. And it is exactly what you do when you bring a new team member into an existing team. Integrating a new face and personality requires extreme focus and attention; otherwise those first few steps can result in an awkward start or even a skinned knee.
Let’s take a look at reality and identify what we can do to create an environment for success.
An employee is selected to join a company because the organisation feels he or she can fill a vacant role and make a contribution. After the recruiting process, the cumbersome formalities begin.
Too often, as the new team member arrives at the company, the computer is not set up for them, the team is not prepared for the arrival, and the expectations are not always set in place. Immediately, those first few steps are clumsy.
Once the “tools” of business are in place, then comes the “Christopher Columbus” exploration to navigate around the new company. Sadly, most employees are left to their own merits to discover how things are done and who is who. So they turn to the not always reliable informal network as the organisational GPS.
In the GCC, this is additionally complicated as many employees are moving from another country and need to settle into their new country of residence as well. So in addition to finding the way through the maze of corporate corridors, they also have to find their way around town – setting up bank accounts and navigating the exhausting rental process. Instead of treating this like a rite of passage, you should remove this feeling of being lost and guide your team members to success.
Being aware of this reality and taking responsibility for the success of the team members, new and old, is what you should focus on as a leader. I believe leaders should be held accountable for others’ success. Their performance should be judged specifically on how well others do, and only generally on how well you do, as the leader.
This transitions us into what you should do to ensure the success of others. It is rather simple, if you are willing to invest the time.
Creating an environment of success is built on you being a great guide. Instead of pointing them down the hall to sort matters out. Take them by the hand, make the introductions and teach the culture of the company. Additionally, make sure that you create a sense of belonging. Help them build relationships and make sure the existing team welcomes and embraces the new member. And finally, make sure your expectations are clearly understood.
After all, you did see promise in the candidate so you selected him or her to join your team? Everyone is hopeful, even positive, when the offer is made. Now focus on what happens after the offer to make this hope a successful reality.
Tommy Weir is a leadership adviser, author of 10 Tips for Leading in the Middle East and other leadership writings and the founder of the Emerging Markets Leadership Center
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