Tips for onboarding new hires
If you’ve finally completed the process of posting a job listing, sifting through resumes, conducting interviews, checking references and finally deciding on a new hire, here are some tips for setting your new team member up for success.
Recognize that every practice is different
It takes a little time for a new hire to adjust to the unique culture and methodology of a new practice. Be patient. Don’t expect your new team member to hit the ground running on their first day.
Put everyone through training
It’s best not to make assumptions about what your new hire does or does not know. Even experienced professionals can use a quick refresher and it’s likely you do things a little bit differently at your practice compared to where they’ve worked before.
New employees want to succeed. They will happily let you show them the ropes and appreciate that you’re taking the time to get them up to speed with your way of doing things. It’s good practice to take the time to create a standardized training process for new hires.
Talk about practice vision and goals
Onboarding is about more than simply covering daily to-dos and practice systems. This is your opportunity to get your new hire excited about your practice vision and goals. Show them the benchmarks you use to measure success and share the goals your practice is currently working to achieve.
Schedule a day to shadow
If possible, give the new hire a full day to shadow a current team member with the same or similar responsibilities.
Ask your new hire what they think they need to be successful
Schedule frequent review and feedback sessions over the first few months and encourage the new employee to ask lots of questions. Ask them if there is any specific training that they feel would help them perform better or get up to speed faster. Check in from time to time to find out how they are getting along with the rest of the team.
Set clear expectations
Lay out clear expectations from the beginning. Let your new hire know when their first review will be and exactly what they can do between now and then to make sure it’s a great one.
