Three steps to make your new employee quickly part of the team

I’m passionate about hiring the right people.

Who you build your company with is just as important as what you build.

I've hired more than 200 people in my career and now spend a good portion of my time counseling CEOs on how to get the right people onto their teams.

Hiring creates culture and it’s worth taking the time to move slowly and make the right decision.

But if you don’t put as much care into the onboarding for that new employee, all the hard work will be for naught.

Your new employee will quickly become disengaged, frustrated and unmotivated - and could be a candidate for a premature exit.

I advocate using an effective three-step method to make employees valuable members of the team that can contribute and make a difference right away.

Step 1: Provide a comfortable task

The first step is to put the new employee in a position to feel strong and capable.

Assign them a project that plays into their natural aptitudes and skills. Something they will enjoy and do easily.

Think of it as training wheels for the workplace.

It shouldn’t be anything insultingly below their level, but as a way to stack small wins in the beginning.

A key to this is to tell the person you’re starting them off light to get them into the flow. Otherwise they might think they’re chosen a job beneath their talents!

The feeling of confidence you’ll build within them will stick.

Step 2: Provide a task where they feel somewhat unqualified

Now it’s time to take them out of their comfort zone… but still within a relatively safe environment.

To be clear, it won’t be difficult to find something in which the new person feels unqualified.

Even if they’re done the specific task before, doing it within the confines of a new company will be a challenge.

Key to this assignment is interaction with others in the organization. Getting your new hire into a working relationship with different departments will be a great way for them to get the lay of the land and show other colleagues what a smart hire you’ve made.

Step 3: Provide an urgent task for the business

OK - now it’s time to remove the training wheels!

When you feel your employee is ready, find something that will get them - and the organization - an important win.

Perhaps put them in charge of solving a problem that’s been bedeviling you for a while. Very often, new employees can bring new thinking and a fresh perspective that can break through a logjam.

New hires are a gift. And once they succeed… the sky’s the limit!

I hope you found this helpful and I’ll be back next week.