There are many challenges associated with transitioning from a sole trader to employer. You must learn how to create the perfect job advert so that you attract top talent right from the get-go. You’ll also have to know what red flags to look out for when interviewing potential hires, to ensure they’re the right fit for your team. You then have to make employee retention a priority, or you’ll find yourself right back at square one.
Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can build and maintain employee satisfaction and motivation levels, so they become a permanent fixture within your team as opposed to someone who is only around for a few months.
For example, you can work to improve your onboarding process. After all, “organisations with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%.”
With that in mind, here are simple tips you can use to elevate your onboarding process and win over new hires.
Make them feel welcome
The main goal of your onboarding plan should be to make your new hires feel welcome. After all, the quicker they integrate themselves with the team, the more successful they will be as a whole. Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can make them feel welcome. You can:
- Host a welcome dinner or lunch on their first day, so they can get to know their colleagues in a low-pressure environment.
- Focus on building a warm, welcoming workplace culture.
- Make a conscious effort to involve them in conversations so that you can get to know them.
Hand out a gift
Onboarding gifts are a great way to welcome a new hire onto your team, especially if you hand out gifts that will be useful at work. For example, you could create a hamper using products from a Wholesale Gift Packaging Supplier, which contains all of the tools they need to do their job – such as notebooks, pens, and other useful resources. You could also add in a voucher for a local coffee shop, so they can grab a morning pick-me-up on the way to work.
Don’t overwhelm them
It’s no secret that starting a new job can be overwhelming – which is why it’s important that you gently ease your new hires into their role as opposed to throwing them in the deep end. Space out your training program over a few weeks so they have time to truly understand what is expected of them. You should also make it clear that they can approach you at any time should they have any questions or concerns.
Focus on quality training
Quality employee training benefits both the employee and the employer. From an employer’s perspective, it means your team is more prepared to handle their workload and address any challenges that come their way. For an employee, training not only prepares them for their day-to-day duties, but can also help them advance in their career. As a result, you should ensure that you give your employees access to quality training and development opportunities throughout their tenure with your company.
