This article picks up from where ‘Are You an Employer of Choice (Part I)‘ leaves off for the period of new employment from fresh on-boarding until an employee feels settled within a company and it no longer feels new, but like a professional home instead!

The First 90 Days are Crucial

Typically, a new employee is given 90 days to prove themselves a good fit. Many businesses have a 90-day Review Period, where—if it is determined the fit is not good—either the employee or employer may terminate the relationship. (Note: This 90-day Review Period should not be referred to or written as a “90-day Trial Period”. The term “trial period” can nullify “Employment-at-Will” and thus be nullified by the court.) 


New employees should receive job training. This may seem obvious, but a surprising number of new hires are left to figure things out for themselves with just a training manual. That being said, a new hire should understand what the company’s expected learning curve is. Equally, the employer should be aware that individuals learn in different ways. There are visual, auditory, and tactile learners and therefore training must be accessible to all types of learners. For more information on learning and teaching, check out Gardner’s classifications of Multiple Intelligences.

 
Help your new employee prove to be a good fit by setting them up for success. Educate them on the expectations of the workplace. Provide them with a road map of how skills, knowledge, and responsibilities are to be learned. Spending the time to make sure the training sticks saves time in the long-run and increase the likelihood of retaining a long-term, comfortable, confident, and competent employee!

Communication is Key

Regular “check-in” meetings between new employees and supervisors or managers—or in the case of small business, the owner—should be conducted at least every two (2) weeks for the first 90 days. Open communication and feedback should be encouraged during these meetings. A new employee should feel that their questions are appreciated and that their ideas or opinions are valued.


Onboarding is a process. Successful employers have a good understanding of their own mission and they know that their employees ARE the company. They consistently go out of their way to show employees how they fit into the organization.


As soon as a new hire comes in the door, an employer’s job is retention and it carries throughout the length of tenure. Employers that master onboarding truly set themselves apart—from “an employer” to “the employer of choice”. 


To arrange for a complimentary HR onboarding review, call (508)785-4950 or email us!