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De Lacy Executive Recruitment Enrolment Advice

A good enrolment process is essential to setting new employees up to succeed, both in terms of improved retention and getting them up and running as a productive member of the team as soon as possible.

Did You Know:

  • The majority of people decide if they will remain with a business long-term halfway through their probationary period.
  • An organised enrolment process reduces stress for the new employee – thus having a direct impact on performance and increasing job satisfaction.
  • The average cost of employee turnover, based on the average UK salary, is around £11,000 per person – successful onboarding save you money in the long run.

Good onboarding will look different for every company, but here are a few tried and tested tips from the team at De Lacy Executive Recruitment: 

Before They Start – Increase Their Loyalty To your business:

  1. Keep in contact with your new employee, especially if they have a long notice period. Ensure you are speaking to them a minimum of every two weeks prior to their start date. This step is vital for them to feel a sense of loyalty to your business and reduce the odds of them being tempted to not move roles or accept another offer.

    • At De Lacy Executive Recruitment we will invite them to any team socials we might be having during this period.
  2. Get the formalities sorted out. This includes conducting right to work checks, getting contracts signed, and communicating with the employee to make sure there is clarity on both sides regarding any benefits offerings and when these kick in. If your company uses a HRIS, book in a call with HR to get them set up.
  3. Sort the equipment the employee needs – laptop, phone, car, corporate branded clothing and items – are ordered well ahead of the start date and, if necessary, provided to the employee ahead of their first day.

    • At De Lacy Executive Recruitment we have an enrolment checklist to ensure you do not miss anything – ask your De Lacy Executive Account Representative for a copy of the checklist. It is also much more efficient.
  4. Information about where the employee will be working; where they can park, dress code, if there is somewhere to store their lunch, do you have a microwave etc. People often have questions about these things before they start, and having the information can help soothe first day nerves.

First Day – Make Them Feel Welcomed:

    1. Later start time on their first day – consider pushing back their normal start time to prepare for their arrival e.g. if the team starts at 9am, ask them to come in at 10am.
    2. Have their workstation and all IT/phone equipment set up and ready to go before they arrive; nothing dents employee confidence like nobody being able to help them log in to the company intranet!
    • At De Lacy Executive Recruitment we like to leave a welcome card on their desk signed by the team.
    3. Show them around when they arrive. As well as where they will be working, it’s important they know where to store their bag and coat, where they can go to eat lunch, and the location of the bathrooms, kitchen, and emergency exits.
    4. Introduce them to key people in the organisation: not just their line manager and the team they’ll be working with, but other useful contacts like HR.
    • At De Lacy Executive Recruitment we present a PowerPoint to them with an outline of team members in the business as well as their responsibilities. We talk through our core values and what their first few months in the business look like.
    5. Have a set schedule for the day and try not to overwhelm them by piling every task and policy on them at once.
    6. Take them out for lunch on their first day. If you go out, show them local amenities along the way. Stores where they can buy a quick snack, nearby coffee shop, fast food, local gym, anything that will make their life simple. Did you invite some of their colleagues?

During The First Week – Ensure They Know Your Expectations:

    1. Provide the new employee with the Employee Handbook and any other relevant policies. If you are not clear about your expectations of them, then you can not expect them to know what best practice looks like for your business.
    • At De Lacy Executive Recruitment we provide an Employee Assistance Program to support their wellbeing – starting a new job is exciting, but it is also very stressful.
    2. Do not leave them to guess what they should be doing. Ensure there is a set schedule of tasks, reviewing material, so that there is always something for them to be doing. But ensure the schedule is varied between meeting people, learning new systems, and reviewing important documentation.
    3. Probationary Period Meeting – be sure to have a meeting to set clear expectations of what is required of them during probation. What they will have to achieve during this time, how they will be monitored, and the range of expected outcomes.
    4. Arranging social time for the employee to get to know their new colleagues on a more informal basis can help them settle in more quickly. This could be going out for a team lunch, or something as simple as coffee and cake in the office.

During The Probationary Period:

    1. To protect your business, ensure that your probationary periods are robustly managed. Getting new starters up and running as quickly as possible is mutually beneficial.
    2. Expectations for the employee should be clear and achievable at every stage. Ensure the employee has regular update meetings with their line manager so they know whether they are hitting targets, and where and how they need to improve if they are not.
    3. By the end of the probationary period, employees should feel confident and have certainty in their role, know where they fit into the business, what they need to do to support organisational goals, and have the confidence to make it happen independently.

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