Have you ever seen a situation where a company hires a new team member, things go well for a couple weeks, and then the new hire suddenly quits? What happened? You thought they were happy and doing fine.
Well, you may want to look at your onboarding process. Studies have shown that for the first six weeks of employment we need to be intentional in making sure that we work with the new person in building trust and helping them keep engaged in their work. This can make a big difference.
In 1977 I joined a local Rotary Club. I wanted to be more involved in the community and enjoy some good fellowship. At 28, I was the youngest person in that club.
As soon as I was inducted, I was paired with a mentor. His name was Art, and he was genuinely interested in me and what skills I brought to the table. We set up weekly conversations, and I was soon given the job of bulletin editor. Art knew I liked to write, and he tapped in to a hot button. After six weeks my mentoring ended, and the program had succeeded. I was an active member of the club and felt very much at home – even though I was the youngest member of the club – by far! I was a member for 10 years before I moved away, and during that time served in every office…including president!
One of the most persistent challenges my clients encounter today is hiring and keeping good employees. To reduce this threat, I recommend you have a step-by-step onboarding process guided by a competent mentor who will manage the process. Keem’em smiling!
