New Hire Onboarding Failures
It might seem infrequent. Yet, the key reasons new employees fail during onboarding and probation are directly the fault of the manager and the company.
What?…
That’s what we see. The top 7 key reasons new employees fail are:
- Poor Recruitment
- Incorrect or No Real Onboarding Process
- Unclear Explanation of New Hire Duties
- Fuzzy Reporting Lines
- No explanation of the Code of Conduct
- Poor Performance Management
- Changing New Hire’s Position and Responsibilities
Let’s explore the 7 key reasons employees fail and how to offset them.
1.Poor Recruitment Practice is First Key Reason New Employees Fail
Grabbing the first person breathing who looked at your job and didn’t really match their interest, attitude and skills to the position.
2. Incorrect or No Real Onboarding Process
Not explaining the firm and how the candidate’s specific position fits into the bigger picture. You were not welcoming. You didn’t explain basic internal processes and rules and the person broke the rules.
3. Unclear Explanation of Duties
You were not clear in explaining what had to be done, in what order and for what reason. If you are fuzzy, what hope has a new employee without your experience of the business have of getting it right?
4. Fuzzy Management Reporting Lines
Does your employee know who their direct report is or are they getting torn between different managers telling them different things?
5. No explanation of the Code of Conduct
There wasn’t a proper explanation what acceptable and unacceptable behavior was?
6. Poor Performance Management
When they were going off track, did you take time to bring them back gently on track or did you just ‘throw them under the bus?’ Did you give them feedback that there was a problem, or did you just dump them?
7. Changing New Hire’s Position and Responsibilities Another Key Reason New Employees Fail
The person was hired for one position and you changed the role and duties after they started.
On Rare Occasions
Infrequently the occasion arises where a new hire frankly doesn’t care about the job s/he was hired for or the company. But these are less than 1% of all new employee failures.
If you find that you are having a number of new employee failures—then go back and check out where the problem really lies. You usually will find it is not with the individuals hired, but with the person doing the hiring.
Action Steps for New Employee Success
So, what do you do about it? When you have a vacancy, start by being really clear on the role you want to fill. What precisely will they be doing? Who do they report to? What are they accountable for?
Next be clear on the person who will best fit your role – their skills, attitudes and attributes.
Once you have found someone – how can you make them feel welcome, important and valued? What do you need to tell them so they quickly understand your business and “how you do things around here”.
If they get off track – talk with them and explain what you really meant for them to do. Ask for feedback on your communication and act on suggestions to improve it. Guide them back on track as gently as possible.
Yes, all of this takes time. But so does having to constantly hire new staff. Where would you prefer to invest your time?
Need Help Recruiting and Onboarding?
So, for your next project, if you need help hiring qualified candidates, a project manager with the right experience and skill set, or if you’re looking for a professional staffing agency, give us a call.
Talk to a Flexicrew professional about your 2022 staffing needs and let them do the heavy lifting!