A successful placement not only helps you but also the company - saving time and money in replacing them if it doesn’t work out.  We get so excited about the new hire coming in, that we sometimes forget some essential steps for the on-boarding what I like to call “after care”.

Here are my top 9 tips on how to avoid failed new hires:-

Ensure the employer communicates with the new hire prior to their start date - a call by the new employer to the newly placed employee is a very important step in avoiding buyers remorse.

Ensure the new hire has an accurate job description - a new hire quickly loses motivation if they are undertaking work inconsistent with their job description.

Ensure the new hire is provided with the necessary equipment and tools for them to be productive immediately - if someone has to wait for a desk, a computer, a phone, an email address and other essential tools of their trade, they will feel unwelcome and out of place.  There is no greater motivation killer than waiting around unable to start your new job.

Ensure the new hire is introduced to their colleagues and how & where the employee's familiars are located - a new employee feels enough like a stranger, with stating across at colleagues they haven't met yet or wandering around looking for the lunchroom or toilet.  Nominate someone to show them around first thing when they arrive.

Provide the new hire with clear expectations - unless expectations and behaviours are communicated clearly, they will simply be working in a vacuum.

Provide the new hire with a buddy or mentor - a buddy or a mentor can be an invaluable guide, sounding board or ‘cultural interpreter’ for the new employee in their first weeks of employment.  It is way too common for departing new hires to say that “nobody really talked to me or offered to help me” and then left the job.

Provide the new hire with consistent feedback - a new employee will always assume that what they are doing is consistent with what is expected of them unless told otherwise.  Positive re-enforcement or feedback about what should be done differently keeps motivation and performance up.

Provide the new hire with formal performance appraisals - formal reviews are critical during the probation period to make sure there are no misunderstandings.  It is critical that performance appraisals also indulge specific action required for improvement.  The area for improvement might be seen as obvious to a manager, but is not always obvious to a new employee.

Ensure the new hire is invited to both formal and informal social events - a formal work-organised social event is publicised by a group or company e-mail address, in most cases, the new employee is not on that list yet.  Make sure that they find out about it or else they will feel intentionally excluded or unwelcome.

This really is a great check-list to have on hand for either yourself or other managers in your team.  Would love to hear your feedback on if this helps or other tips that may help.