To support a workforce that satisfies employer demand and to position the Baton Rouge Area favorably for economic growth, BRAC executes a variety of initiatives to cultivate the region’s talent. The talent development program focuses on two aspects – recruitment and retention of talented professionals in the nine-parish region. As an employer, it’s your job to set new hires up for success, and that starts with the onboarding process. Every company approaches onboarding a little differently, but a few themes are consistent. Take a moment to evaluate your company’s process against some of our best practices below.
Start with Clear Communication
Clear communication is key when setting your new hire up for success. Start the line of communication with the offer letter by clearly and concisely stating the important details of the job, specific and/or unique perks of the company, and the salary and benefits package.
Moving forward, don’t forget communication is a two-way street. Be sure to clearly set up contact points for the new hire. Oftentimes, the new employee is connected with someone from the human resources team so they can easily ask questions before their first day. It is also helpful when the employer provides answers to the new hire’s basic questions like where to park, what to wear on the first day and if they should bring lunch or not.
Welcome Them
Make your new hire’s first day special by showing them what your company’s culture is all about. Litter their desk with fun company “swag,” schedule a team lunch out, or simply have the whole office sign a welcome card for them. These simple actions make a big first impression.
Keep Them Scheduled
Hitting the ground running can be challenging. Provide them with a transition document that clearly outlines what they will need to do for each of their job responsibilities. Be sure to give them training on all the tools they will be using, ensuring they are able to begin work right away. Allow them plenty of time to ask questions and learn as they go.
Facilitate Introductions
Build in some time to introduce them to the people they need to meet to be successful. You can go so far as to set up those meetings and introductions in advance for them during their first week. If you have regular meetings that can give them insight into what others do for your company, invite them to observe and ask questions.
Set Expectations & Give Feedback
At the beginning of a new hire’s job, schedule a meeting to solely discuss expectations. During this time, you should set clear key performance indicators that the new employee knows they need to meet by a certain time. An often-used technique is the “30-60-90″ plan. This plan lays out expectations on what the new employee should have completed within 30 days, 60 days and 90 days since their onboarding. But the real key to success is feedback. Meet with the employee on their 30th, 60th and 90th day. Employer and employee should openly give feedback and make sure each are getting what they want out of the job. BRAC is an investor-driven organization leading economic development in the nine-parish Baton Rouge Area. One of BRAC’s strategic goals is to cultivate the region’s talent to meet workforce demands and each month we highlight one of our talent development initiatives. To learn more about our talent development strategies and resources, contact our director of talent development.
Maggi Spurlock
Maggi Spurlock is the Director of Talent Development for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. In her role, she leads all aspects of BRAC’s talent development program, including talent attraction and orientation.