Setting Up to Win

Now that you’ve hired a star player, what’s your next move? Read my article below for a winning scenario.

Your New Hire Starts in Two Weeks, Now What?

Congratulations! You found the right candidate for the position and you just closed the deal. Your new hire starts in two weeks. I’ll bet you’re ready to relax and celebrate. OK, take a moment, you deserve it. However, keep it brief since this is the perfect time to develop an effective orientation plan or as I like to call it, “setting up to win”.

The first 90 to 180 days are the most critical for a new hire. Odds are you will spend time evaluating your decision to bring them aboard and your new employee will spend time evaluating the organization and deciding whether to stay. Why not make it a smooth and positive transition for all parties? This is where a well-thought out orientation plan kicks in. Here are a few suggestions that I offer clients:

• Prior to the start date, maintain contact and provide any company information that will help welcome your new hire.

• On the very first day, lay the foundation for employee productivity and help new hires to develop their expectations for the company. Be prepared to provide all tools and resources necessary to be successful on the job, i.e. laptop, cell phone, PDA, etc.

• Have a welcome team in place but make sure the right people are telling the company’s story. Involve your top performers in the orientation and training process.

• Deliver what you promised during the recruitment phase. Nothing is worse than changing the rules of the game after it started.

• Demonstrate your commitment to on-going training, team building and a positive work environment. This will send the message that your organization provides more than a place to work but opportunities that touch the very heart of what motivates employees to continue to work.

• Schedule regular information sharing sessions and accept honest feedback without repercussions. Your new hire may have some great ideas and insights.

From my experience, setting up to win results in faster performance development, reduced turnover, greater job satisfaction and ultimately improved productivity.

Shel’s Lineup of Star Players

Senior sales professional with 10+ years experience selling data collection systems including RFID tag and mobile to the reseller channels – has held quotas as high as $40 million.

Sales engineer with 10 years experience selling fixed scanning systems into warehouse distribution. This candidate is strong on 2D barcodes and has strong conveyor background. Sells as high as $7 million

For more information regarding these top performers and others, contact Shel Myeroff, Direct Recruiters, Inc., 216-464-5570 x 103 and Shel@directrecruiters.com.