Did you know that almost a quarter of all staff turnover occurs in the first 45 days of employment?
Sometimes it can be even worse, we’ve all seen that new recruit who seems fine in the morning but doesn’t come back after lunch.
Why does that happen? They’ve been through the whole recruitment process without a hitch. They’ve impressed you at interview and they’ve served notice at their existing employer all for them to cut and run after just 3 or 4 hours.
I’ve seen it happen and more often than not the employer just puts it down to the recruits being ‘weird’ or realising they're not up to it. I’ve never seen an employer sit back and say;
‘What did we do?’
As hard as it probably is to admit, it probably is you – well not you personally, but something that has occurred in your business in the first few hours has completely shattered the illusion that the new recruit had about their future with your business.
So this begs the question, what do your new recruits think of you?
New staff induction is the most important thing you can do when hiring staff and certainly when growing your business. There are 3 aims with an induction:
Provide a complete overview to the company and it’s structure.
Ensure the employee is aware of how their role contributes to the overall business strategy.
Settle staff in quickly into their role.
Induction isn’t about showing new recruits where to make a coffee, and where the fire exits are but that’s how most companies, especially small companies, approach spending the first few hours with their staff.
Of course small companies won’t need a week long induction but some time sat with someone senior in the organisation discussing the companies aims and objectives can really help to engage the new recruit with their role, what they are working towards and how their career can advance in the company, if that’s what they want.
On the more sophisticated side though, I’ve worked with inductions that last for two weeks and involve departmental shadowing, compliance training and testing, video’s from the departmental directors and full evaluations.
That approach is probably overkill for many smaller businesses and you have to decide what is right for you and your staff but whatever you choose, be assured that it’s far more than just housekeeping and fire drills.
If you are an employer and need ongoing assistance with staff and employment matters, talk to Cheryl at PeakHR. We offer competitive rates and cater specifically for small employers.
Please note our blog posts contain general information and are intended as guidance only and should not be taken as an authoritative or current interpretation of the law. Please ensure that you obtain advice tailored to your individual situation before taking action. These posts apply to the UK only.