Ask the expert: Right from the start

By MARIE WILSON

Q. I work in a small business unit with three staff. One person left last month, and I have just hired their replacement. He will start in two weeks. What should I do to get a new person up to speed? There doesn't appear to be any set practice for my employer, other than a health and safety (OSH) booklet that goes out to all staff on their first day, and the employment contract that has already been sent out.

A. The quality of an employee's induction (learning about their new job and organisation) is critical to their performance, satisfaction and intention to stay with a job. It is often overlooked, however, and I congratulate you on considering this before the person arrives.

People need to learn about the expectation of their job, the people around them, and the organisation, usually in that order. The learning process is intense in the first few weeks, but may continue for months after someone has joined. For senior roles, learning about expectations and the culture of the organisation can continue for well over a year.

From your perspective, there are a number of things that you can do to ease their entry and get a more productive employee more quickly. In the next two weeks, before they start, you may want to invite them for a lunch or other visit to meet staff that they will be working closely with, so that there are some familiar faces when they arrive.

If there are any policy manuals, newsletters or other materials that would help them to learn about the company, those can be sent out in advance for review. Before they arrive, the person should know where and when to report on their first day, as well as the incidentals, such as parking and building access requirements.

If there is any training that they will need to attend over the first few months, this can be scheduled and they can receive a schedule when they arrive. All the tools required for their position should be waiting for them to arrive, including an equipped office or whatever tools and technology are required. It's not unusual to have to wait a day or two to sign on to an internal computer system and gain required passwords, etc, or to gain access to cars or other equipment, but if it is scheduled before the person arrives, this should reduce delays.

I assume that they already have their job description. On their first day, you should set aside a solid block of time, say an hour, at the beginning and end of the day. A tour of the immediate facility, review of health and safety (OSH) requirements relevant to their job, and review of the performance expectation of their job are a first step.

Since there are two other staff in your business unit, it is often helpful to set up a "buddy" for the new arrival, who can fill them in on informal requirements and provide an alternative source of information and introductions in the first few weeks. Since this person may be answering questions about "how things are done around here", you'll want to make sure that they are a positive and competent employee who is familiar with the job requirements for the new person.

It's also helpful if there is a project or task that a new person can handle that gives them something meaningful to do, as well as providing a mechanism for learning about their job and the company.

Having a "buddy" doesn't mean that you can just leave the new person to "get on with it" after the first day.

You need to check in with them, if possible, at the end of each of the first few days, at the end of each of the first four weeks, and at least monthly for the first few months. Each time, you will be checking to make sure that they are performing well, that any obstacles to performance are being resolved and that they are continuing to learn about their job and the company.

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Dr Marie Wilson is associate professor of management at the University of Auckland Business School, research director of the ICEHOUSE business accelerator and a veteran of 20 years in corporate management and small business.