Welcome back to my podcast Scaling Out!
As a manager, bringing in a new employee is one of the biggest and best jobs! You get to share everything about the business & how awesome the company is with an employee lens instead of a recruiting lens. The employee is thrilled to be there, they made it thru the hiring process & they are ready for a new start. Keep this momentum and energy by answering every question, offering advice on navigating the office politics, and setting a stage for ongoing communication.
Some organizations ask managers to meet with their employees in 1-1s at least every week, or every other week. For new hires, I schedule HOURS of 1-1s during the first month of their employment. I firmly believe that this time is an investment in the new employee’s career success. Therefore dedicating MORE time to the resource initially is ideal. Even if you end up chatting about personal stuff, you couldn’t do that during your interviews because it’s illegal, but now you are connecting with the new hire. This relationship will be valuable in gaining their trust in you and their loyalty to the organization. DO NOT CANCEL these initial/extra 1-1s, reschedule if you must, but DO NOT CANCEL. This demonstrates to the employee that you are dedicated to THEIR success.
My first sessions with employees cover the following topics:
- Job Expectations
- Organization Structure
- Project Assignments & Goals
- Training Materials & Opportunities for Growth
- Company & Employee Goals & Objectives
- How to ask for help
- How to ask for an escalation or when to notify about impending escalations
If I even tried to get thru this in 30min 1-1s it would be a disaster for the new employee. They need all of this guidance as soon as they start, so make it a point as their manager to spend the time with them more often.
Next time I will highlight the employee’s expectations for 1-1s.
Until then, stay safe everyone!
