Adding to Staff?

Bringing in a new employee to your agency or company can be like bringing home a new adult member to the family. This person already has developed a personality and habits that, more than likely, cannot be changed.

You have gone through two to three interviews, thoroughly checked the background of the new hire, and felt comfortable enough to welcome them into your firm. Your employees, however, do not know the capabilities, knowledge, or personality of the new person with whom they will share their job duties and eight hours per day.

Existing employees may feel uncertainty in not knowing what their role will be in getting the new person up to par. If your present people already handle a fair amount of daily work, they will be concerned that adding a person unfamiliar with your procedures may mean extra work, instead of less. So, how can you make adding a new employee a smooth transition?

Introduce the new person before they start. This can be done during the final interview, after the offer has been accepted, or during a scheduled time prior to the start date. This shows your employees that you care about their feelings.

Inform your employees about the new hire's background. This prevents guessing and misunderstandings. Be careful not to "over sell" the person, your staff may feel threatened instead of excited.

Conduct personality tests to help determine how well the new person fits into the group, as well as the job. Have profiles for your current people on file to enable you, or the profiling company, to compare the qualities and traits to assure the team will not be disrupted. (A bossy assistant may be hard to delegate to.)

Start a new person in the middle of the week. This gives them, and your staff, a few days to work together and then a break. Starting any new job can be very overwhelming. A new person is less likely to remember things you've told them if they are tired.

Have a procedures guide that includes form letters. Although a person may have three or four years of experience doing similar work, they don't know how your company does things. An easy reference guide on handling a new account, for example, can help start things out right.

Spend time yourself with the new employee and provide regular feedback. Remember, it was you who hired the person - they may feel more comfortable talking to you.

Be clear to your staff about your expectations of them during the initial training time. Everybody will be more comfortable if they know what their role is.

Say "Thank You" to all the employees for their time and efforts in bringing the "new hire" up to speed. It may be part of their job, but it is nice to be appreciated.

Starting a new job can be overwhelming. Making your new employee, and your existing staff, comfortable with the change can make a big difference.