Getting employees up to speed quickly is important at every organization. Especially at this point in the employment relationship, your leaders can make all the difference. According to research by Gallup, managers are responsible for up to 70 percent of the variance in employee engagement. From a recent article in Inc., here are four discussions your leaders can have with new employees to get them engaged quickly.
Describe how the business creates value
In order for employees to be engaged, they need to understand what the company does that sets them apart. All employees want to be part of something bigger than themselves. Help employees see how the work they are doing directly relates to the value the organization creates in the community. Employees need to understand the why of the business and the why of their specific position in the company.
Define who the stakeholders are
Helping employees understand how all of the pieces of your organization work gives them a better idea of the big picture of the organization. Employees need to understand who the stakeholders are, both inside and outside the organization. Make sure they know the important people inside the organization and how everyone’s job interact. Also make sure they understand who your customer s and vendors are\ and what those relationships are like. Providing this clarity gives employees a better understanding of the organization as a whole.
Immediately set goals and provide feedback
Help employees set goals very early on (within the first couple days of work) that will allow them some quick wins. This allows you to provide feedback immediately and start the process of constructive performance communication.
Reinforce the reasons you hired them
Don’t assume your employees understand the reason they were selected for the position. Remind them what characteristics and experience they have that led you to make the decision to hire them. Praise employees for their skills, experience, attitude and work ethic. Reinforce those positive behaviors you want to see continue, early on.
It can be a huge competitive advantage for an organization to not only have productive employees quickly, but also engaged ones. Make sure your leaders are doing these four things with all new employees. It can also be a great reminder of the ongoing conversations they should be having with existing employees as well. Looking for more ideas to get employees up to speed quickly? Check out our Onboarding Toolkit.