You probably have heard the
importance of the action plans of the “first 100 days” after a new President
takes office or after you begin integrating two companies after a big merger,
but I am guessing you haven’t heard it applied to your recruiting and
onboarding efforts with each of your new staff members. Unlike in most marriages, where you have been
dating for years prior to “tying the knot”.
Often times in recruitment, you have someone joining your “family” after
only a couple hours of “dating”, which means you are typically “living with
each other” for the first time, in the first months of their employment (after
the fact). It is in these “first 100 days” that will dictate if this “marriage”
will work or not, and how you handle these first few months, is critical both
ways.
What You Need to Do to “Romance” the Employee
This is no different than when you are dating someone prior to getting married, only you are doing it after the “wedding ring is already on their finger”. You as the employer need to be on your “best behavior”. These are the formative days of the employee deciding whether or not they are going to “love you” for life or not. During these times, you are going to want to ensure:
The Employee is Properly Welcomed. The rest of your staff needs to stop what they are doing and take the time to properly welcome the new staff member to the team. This may include taking them to lunch on their first day on the job, taking them out to happy hour in the weeks after they have started (yes this is an ongoing welcoming process, not just “one and done” on their first day) and assigning them a “mentor” that can help them navigate the organization. It is critical during this period that what you promised them during the recruitment phase actually materializes in their day-to-day job. So, ensure their expectations are properly set upon hiring, and properly met during this welcoming period. It’s very hard to change a first impression once it is set, so don’t allow yourself to get any “egg on your face” out of the gate, or they will soon be looking for the door towards a new employer. And, the last thing you want is a revolving door with talent.
The Employee is Properly Onboarded. Employees aren’t just going to step into a role and know exactly what to do on day one. They need to be properly trained, duh! But you would be surprised how many companies don’t have a formal training plan in place for every one of the positions they are hiring for. That is the equivalent of throwing the new staff member to the wolves, and hoping they learn how to survive. Prior to the start date, you need to have documented: (i) the full job description and key expectations of the job, including any KPIs they will be managed by; (ii) the curriculum and materials for which they will be trained to be successful in the job; and (iii) the training calendar of key people within the organization they will meet in their first weeks on the job, who are in charge of training the various aspects of the company and the role. The more comfortable they feel with their training, the more confident and “loved” they will feel.
The Employee is Properly Cultured. When working with a new staff member, they need to learn and feel the culture you are trying to promote within the organization. For example, in one of my businesses, we aspire to have a S.P.I.R.I.T. culture, where all employees strive for Service-First, Positive-Minded, Innovating, Respectful, Intrapreneurial and Team-Oriented behaviors while on the job. You can’t simply slap that on a slide in your strategy deck; you need to live those behaviors in your everyday job, and that starts from the top. If you want the new staff members to live by those rules, it is important they see it manifested in their interactions with the rest of the staff. So, make sure the entire team is demonstrating those desired workplace behaviors, which they naturally should be if they are “living the culture” of the organization.
What the Employee Needs to Do to “Romance” You
This is not a one-way street; the employee needs to be “dating you”, the same time you are “dating them”. In the first 100 days, you are looking for the new employee to be living up to the expectations they set during their recruitment process. Do they really have the skills they said they have? Are they behaving in the way you want new employees to behave, culturally? Are they hitting the goals you have set for each other? If so, full steam ahead. If not, you may have a problem on your hands.
What to Do If The Magic Wears Off
If things are not going to plan after the first 100 days, you really have one of two options. First, you feel the relationship is salvageable and there is a clear long-term path forward together, most likely with additional training or whatever. Or, second, you need to pull the “ripcord” and mutually decide this isn’t working out as planned, and both parties need to agree to part ways. Hopefully, in your offer letters, you incorporated some type of “first 100 days” probation period language, that will legally enable you to exercise these rights if things are not working out. But, in no scenario, should you keep the employee if you do not see a reasonable path forward together. Like in any marriage built on an unsolid foundation, they will most likely end in a divorce anyway, so you might as well get it over, sooner than later, before the problems fully fester into “cancerous breakups” over time.
Closing Thoughts
Many good entrepreneurs put a lot of energy into recruiting great staff members to join the team. But many of those same entrepreneurs, don’t put enough energy into what to do with those same new employees once the actually get started. That is where the “rubber really hits the road”. Your long-term success, both as a hiring manager and as a company (depending on good employees), will be decided in those first 100 days after a new employee gets started. So, don’t blow it, remembering you only have one chance to make a good first impression, both ways.