How to stop the "Man/Woman Over Board Syndrome!!"

One of the most important parts of the recruiting process(yes the recruiting process) is the on-boarding. I mean did you really think our jobs as recruiters end with the "I accept"? It is imperative your company has an on-boarding process, and recruiters play a larg part in that. Whether it be ensuring all the paperwork is done correctly and sent on to HR, or ensuring the candidate had the correct perception of the job, to even following up during the first 90 days on the job. Without an on-boarding program you are hiring people and then throwing them into the water, saying sink or swim on your own(Man/Women Over Board), and inevitably you loose candidates, time, money and reputation.

The keys to an effective on boarding program include:

Introductions…

The first day is usually the hardest and most stressful. This is mainly due to the fact the new employee is coming into a group were they will not know many people. Usually just the ones who interviewed them. It is imperative that someone takes them around and introduces them to as many of the group as can be. I call these people the designated "sponsor". The introductions should include showing them their work space and them being taken to meet with their managers

The Manager

It is the managers responsibility to ensure the new employee, has everything they need to succeed and fully understands their responsibilities, the job, any departmental rules, regulations, and basically standard operating procedures(SOP), such as open door policies etc... In allot of companies this is done via a manual, in class training or e-learning. The manager should ensure that the new hire has all the equipment needed, has been set up for any training etc..In addition the manager should schedule a meeting with in the first 2-3 days to go over expectations, commitments and such. The reason for giving it day or so is to allow the new employee to get their hands around everything that is happening. Also to designate a mentor for the new employee(this usually ends up being the sponsor). as well as have a schedule of happenings for the first 1-3 days for the candidate( the sponsor can help here as can the recruiter, and HR)

HR

HR has a particular role in on boarding. They are to ensure all paperwork is filled out correctly, benefits are chosen, any company rules, regulations and SOPs are explained. Again some of this can be done through e-learning, in class or by providing a manual. HR must also ensure the new hire has been or is scheduled to meet with their manager to discuss what is expected of them, and what their commitments are for the current review cycle(the review info should have been discussed as part of the company SOP).

First meal in the new job..Lunch

This is where the "sponsor" comes in. It is their job to make sure the new employee gets to the lunch area and does not eat alone and in fact attempts to have a group lunch to allow a nice easy integration into the group dynamics. At the end of lunch the sponsor gets the new employee back to the place of work.

Follow on

At a minimum both HR and the recruiter should touch base with the new employee once within the first 30-90 days. To ensure everything is going smoothly.

This is not all inclusive, but it is a good general outline of the minimum that should be done or included in a successful on-boarding program.