Those all-important first day at work impressions

When new staff join your organisation, you want them to feel welcome and reassured that they have made the right decision to work with you and not the competition.

There is an abundance of job vacancies available in today’s employment market which can make it difficult for business owners to retain good and talented staff.  So, without stating the obvious, it is vital for organisations to look after its staff from day one.

The team at HR2day recently worked with a client to help them to try and understand why a large proportion of their staff were leaving within their first 6 months and what they could do to improve the situation.

Initially, the team carried out an analysis of HR data to highlight the factors contributing towards high staff turnover.  The next step was to further investigate what was triggering staff to leave within such a short period of time.

A staff survey with employees, including management, was executed so that the team could understand how they felt when they first joined the company.  There was a particular focus on what the overall perception of the organisation was, prior to employment, and what their impression was of their first day.  For example, was the induction process what they expected, was there an induction process?

It became clear, very quickly, that the company needed to do a lot more when new staff were offered a job, before their first day, and to improve staff loyalty for those who already work at the firm.

The team at HR2day devised a welcome pack to be issued prior to new staff starting their employment which included a message from the director.  It also included a suite of HR and company policies and procedures. For example (list is not exhaustive):

• guidance on what to wear in the workplace
• when they would be paid
• holidays entitlement
• facilities in the local area
• a ‘meet the team’ sheet
• company values, vision, and mission statement
• key dates for diary
• parking
• first day plan

All the above will help new staff feel prepared and valued from the very start of their employment.  It also demonstrates that between offer and start date, their new employers are actively thinking of them which can give assurance.  Notwithstanding, the business owners are reassured that they are HR compliant.

The team suggested other improvements including:

• Implement a robust new staff induction process:
  • to manage expectations for the employee
  • to inform and educate
  • alleviate those first day nerves
  • to meet the team
• Training and development plan:
  • to set out a 6-week plan to track progress
  • it provides a clear structure and will install motivation
  • allows managers to complete a skills matrix, accurately assess performance and identify potential training gaps
• Create a calendar of regular communication meetings with staff
  • to update all staff with ‘organisation’ news
  • to offer an opportunity to ask questions and offer ideas
  • to make them feel part of the journey
  • to instil confidence, ongoing support, and reassurance

Outcome:

New staff feedback has been extremely positive, they feel part of the organisation from day one, and a clear training and development path has been created for them.

There has been a decrease in sick absence, stress levels are down, and staff turnover has reduced.

If you need help to be HR compliant, then contact the team at HR2day on 01325 288299 (opt. 2) or drop them an email on [email protected].