When training your new hire, they need all the support you can provide so they begin contributing. Your new employee may take weeks or months to get acclimated to company culture, understand their job responsibilities and feel like part of the team. For this reason, you need to begin creating a foundation of success from Day 1. Implement these five tips to effectively onboard a new hire.
Assign a Mentor
Delegate part of the training process to a senior team member. They can show the new hire around, answer questions and help the employee get up to speed. Having a mentor will help the staff member feel invested in the team and engaged in their role. They will appreciate having a go-to person help them assimilate into the culture, learn about company policy and teach specific duties.
Encourage Questions
Remind your new employee to ask questions to clarify what they’re learning. You want to set a clear foundation for knowledge management, determine how well the staff member understands the training material and avoid making major mistakes. When employees share knowledge that benefits the team, members learn to trust each other. As a result, social interaction, collaboration and productivity increase.
Offer Resources
Create a resource guide for your new staff member. Include a team directory and information on the go-to person, company and other facts they’ll need. Give a bit of background when you introduce each team member. For instance, “This is Sarah, our new financial analyst. She’ll be a huge help with analyzing our current financial strategy. For now, let her help you put together reports for your current projects.”
Provide Feedback
Give consistent, constructive feedback to your new team member. For instance, clarify the expectations of the role, establish proper habits and avoid errors. Provide quizzes to test the employee’s knowledge and correct mistakes in real time. Once they get in the habit of performing their tasks, start presenting challenging but achievable goals to fulfill responsibilities. Consistently express appreciation for their contributions.
Promote Work/Life Balance
Demonstrate the importance of establishing a healthy work-life balance. For instance, encourage your team to go home not long past the end of work hours whenever possible. Find out whether your new hire has any conflicts with training times and schedule training accordingly. Encourage your new teammate to use all their vacation days throughout the coming year. Remind them to leave their desk and take short breaks throughout the day.
When it comes to training new employees it is important to get it right. Remember to make sure your new hire has the people, resources and feedback needed to be successful on the job. Encourage them to feel comfortable asking questions of you and their teammates. Provide helpful hints on creating a proper work-life balance. Continue to work with your staff member throughout the first year to increase their odds of success.
If we can be of assistance in your accounting and finance hiring please reach out to us. We are here to help.