How to get the best out of new employees

Want to get the best out of your new employees? Of course, you do. After all, you’ve taken the time (and money) to find the ideal candidates for the roles you need to fill as you look to build your business.

Recruitment can be a costly process, especially if things don’t work out and you have to start again in your bid to find the right person (or people).

Once you get your new employees through the door, you want them to stay and grow as your business does.

So how do you get the best out of them? Read this article for advice on giving your new employees the space to learn and how employee benefits can help. Then check out our 10 top tips to keep them enthusiastic and help them feel part of the team.

Make your new starters feel like they are part of the team

Starting a new job can be an intimidating experience. What with new people to meet, new processes to learn and new challenges to face, there can be a lot to take on.

So it’s important to help your new employees feel like they are part of the team.

This doesn’t have to be an expensive or timely process. Here are a few things you can try in order to incorporate them into your business and its culture.

• Have a team lunch or night out. This is a great way for your new employees to meet the rest of the team.
• Use a buddy system. Pair up your new employees with an existing member of staff. They can show them the ropes and the basics – such as how to book meeting rooms, how the telephone system works, where to go for lunch, and so on.
• Have one-to-one feedback sessions. Use them to give your new employees a chance to talk about how things are going, what’s going well, what isn’t going well. Use these sessions to help your new staff fit in, and develop their understanding of your business. As time goes on, use these sessions to help your employees grow in their careers.
• Use an induction process. If your business has a lot of processes that need to be learned, why not put them together in an induction programme? This is a great way to make sure you tick off everything your new employees need to know about your business. And put time in so they can speak to key people within your business about what they do. This will really help your new starters fit in.

Give your new employees time to learn

You want your new employees to contribute to the business as soon as possible.

While you might have a training scheme (some companies put their new sales staff on short training schemes to bring them up to speed with their product knowledge, for example), a lot of learning will happen on the job. This can be the case for small businesses in particular.

However, it takes time for your new employees to become productive. So give them the time and space to learn and develop their skill set – and their confidence in the role.

And remember, as people who are new to your company, they will have different perspectives. Give them the space to ask questions about the way you do things.

They might have new ideas that can take your business forward and you may learn something too. This is a great way to help your new employees feel like they are valued.

Don’t forget about employee benefits

Employee benefits can really make a difference for prospective candidates when they are looking for a new job. Now you’ve got your new employees through the door, it’s time to reiterate the benefits package and what is available to them. And a good package could be a great retention tool, too.

From health care and medical insurance to car allowance and bonuses, there are lots of different things that can make up a benefits package.

If your business offers a package where employees can pick and choose what they want from it, highlight this early in their new employment.

However, employee benefits cover other things too.

You might take your team out for lunch or you might have birthday cake in the office to celebrate someone’s special day. Perhaps you’ll have an away day, where your staff get to race supercars around a race track, or you’ll get coffees and croissants in for breakfast.

Then there’s the Christmas party, which always goes down well.

And remember, the human touch can be just as important. Asking about your employees’ families, what they got up to at the weekend or where they’re going on holiday will go down well.

10 ways to get the best out of your employees

1. Take a genuine interest in the people you work with.

2. Recognise that any new employee will have a lot to learn including the full range of benefits you offer.

3. Accept that not everyone is like you – make the most of their individual talents.

4. Take the time to sit down with employees and get to know them.

5. Really listen to your employees and think about what they say.

6. Accept that everyone makes the odd mistake.

7. Provide training to address any weaknesses or misunderstandings.

8. Deal with persistent underperformance before everyone else gets demotivated.

9. Keep employees informed and explain the reasons for any changes you make.

10. Be upbeat – your own mood sets the tone for everyone working for you.

Final thoughts on getting the best out of your new employees

Remember, it’s your employees who will drive the success of your business. It’s important that they feel part of your company.

You might offer the best products or services but if your people don’t feel like they are part of it, and aren’t passionate about what you’re doing and their roles within that, chances are they won’t stick around for long.

This speaks to both your new employees and existing ones too. Give them the room to grow, benefits to reward them and the space to make a difference.