Successfully on-boarding new team players.
Fail to plan, plan to fail. This is a mantra we often hear at We Are MANDATE. Inducting new starters is crucial to making sure they have the best possible chance of success. Preparing onboarding materials for new employees can be time-consuming and seem like another dull admin job which often ends up at the bottom of your to-do. A positive onboarding experience helps settle new people in and avoids issues in the future. Investing time to thoroughly induct your new employee makes for happier and more successful teammates. Over the years I have tried numerous formats and ways of doing inductions - these are just some tips I have picked up along the way.
Induction checklist
Most of my induction checklists follow a set format but are tweaked depending on the role or function. I also set it out as a to-do list with things to literally ‘check’ off so that nothing is missed. My induction checklist covers all the basics to get the newbie set up and running in their first couple of days. This covers our digital eco-system including email set-up, apps and software, introductions to client accounts, standards and expectations for new employees, roles and responsibilities, company values and vision, training sessions and assessment tasks. I make the induction checklist as easy as possible and include step-by-step instructions. It sounds obvious but when you have worked in a business for a while you become accustomed to how things operate. It is crucial to remember that not all agencies are the same and will often have different systems, protocols and tools. The induction document should be a fool-proof step-by-step guide to get someone who has no prior experience in your business, up and running from the get-go.
Job Description
Making sure everyone in the business knows what their role is and how that fits into the bigger picture is crucial to the longer-term success of the agency. From the outset, we provide everyone with a detailed job description and objectives so they know what is expected of them and how their role contributes to the business. In this document, I recommend including duties, skills and tactical, measurable objectives. The sooner you get a new employee in the frame-of-mind of what they need to achieve, the easier it will be for them to progress. At We Are MANDATE we are explicit about what everyone needs to do in order to get that promotion or pay rise – we want to be giving these to staff as it means they are succeeding!
A Warm Welcome
Often, we are so keen to get new starters fully up to speed and embedded into the agency that is easy to forget that they may have first day nerves. In addition to the usual, office tour, introduction to how to use the Nespresso coffee machine and where is good to go for lunch, there are other more sociable ways we try to give new recruits a big, warm welcome. We are a social bunch so a team lunch during their first week helps everyone to get to know each other a bit better. We also decorate the desk to make the environment as bright and welcoming as possible – everyone is greeted with a personalised desk name, an Instagrammable succulent, a stash of tech accessories and beautiful stationery. You can also get to know someone quite well through their choice in music. Whether it be grime, Swedish death metal, Abba or Hedkandi, we have bonded with our new work pals through our eclectic music choices. Each day we take it in turns to host a playlist on the Sonos – “music makes the people come together”, as Madonna said.
Get The Team Involved
Inductions at We Are MANDATE are not just reserved for line mangers to run through with their new recruits. We get the whole company involved. In addition to the induction document and job description, we actively encourage other team members to go through different topics, training and explain their unique roles. I would be lying if I said I knew everything about everything. There are other people on the team who are far more qualified than me in certain areas so it makes sense for them to induct the new starter in their area of expertise. It also gives the team and the newbie bonding time.
Check-In Time
If your new starter does not raise any questions or queries in their first few weeks do not just assume everything is fine. Make a point to schedule in a catch-up face-to-face to find out how they are getting on, what challenges they may be facing and ask for feedback. Ask questions about how they have found the onboarding experience as this will help shape your approach for your next hire. Most importantly, giving employees face-to-face time and asking for their input shows you value them.
These are just some of the tactics I use to make sure new recruits feel at home and become ingrained into the team as quickly as possible. A bit of effort to get your onboarding programme right and some forward planning means you will reap the awards and have a workforce of happy and engaged employees.
What are your top tips for inducting a new starter into your team?
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