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5 Tips for Onboarding New Employees

Building a high-functioning, patient-friendly, and revenue-generating business begins with building a great team. And, as important as it is to recruit the best and brightest for positions in your practice, that’s only part of the process.

All of the hard work and time spent finding the perfect candidate could be wasted if you don’t put the same amount of time and effort into properly onboarding and training them.

In fact, your onboarding process can be one of the most critical factors in ensuring recently hired talent become happy and productive workers. Research has shown that 50 percent of all hourly workers leave new jobs in the first four months while 50 percent of senior-level new hires fail within 18 months.

How employers handle the first few days and months in a new employee’s experience is crucial to ensuring high retention.

So here are a few ways that you can help new hires be successful from the start

  • 1. Make sure they have all the tools and programs they need.

    Having new hires arrive to an empty or nonexistent work station is a terrible first impression to make. Set up their computer, email, and phone ahead of time, and stock their desk with the essential office supplies. In addition, make sure new employees have access to any programs, software, or electronic files necessary for them to hit the ground running.

  • 2. Develop a plan and daily schedule for, at least, their first week.

    This will help the training process go smoother for everyone. In that schedule, be sure to pencil in a one-on-one meeting before or at the end of the week. Not only does this make new employees feel valued, but it gives you, as the owner, a sense of how they felt about their first week on the job. Providing realistic and clear expectations from the start keeps the line of communication open and gives the employee a better understanding of what’s expected of them. They really need that “approachability factor” to be a positive one.

  • 3. Give them a warm welcome.

    If they haven’t had a tour of the office already, now is the time to do so. Make sure they’ve been properly introduced to everyone in the office—a few quick minutes can go a long way in easing their nerves and helping them get a better feel for the company culture and workflow. Scheduling an office meeting and/or lunch their first week is another good idea. Some companies will even greet new colleagues by leaving a plant or small gift on their desk.

  • 4. Have them shadow a seasoned employee.

    This person should be someone who can show them, step by step, the daily tasks they will be responsible for and be able to exercise a great deal of patience (newbies are bound to ask a lot of questions and make at least a few mistakes). Documented SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) will help the trainer. Otherwise, encourage the new hires to take notes along the way. After a day or so of shadowing, have them switch places and the new employee start the work.

  • 5. Continue to foster their development.

    Training shouldn’t end after an employee’s first week, especially not if you’re hoping to have them eventually take on greater responsibilities. Remember: the more productive the employee, the more profitable the business. And, the happier a staff member is, the more inclined she’ll be to refer her friends and family members to the practice as patients, or even for new positions as they become available.

Documented procedures, equipment, training, introduction to staff, and on-going support will help to ensure that a new employees are able to thrive in their new role.

If you don’t already have a formal onboarding process in place, let our experienced recruiters help.
Along with your Account Manager and the CQ Training Department, we form a team that will provide on-going support and training for every member of your staff so that you can build the best and most successful team for your business.

Source: Onboarding New Employees: Maximizing Success

About the Author

Dawn Bauer

Dawn Bauer is a Senior Recruiter who has been with CQ Partners since 2003. Previously, she spent 15 years working in banking and accounting, including 2 years in CQ’s billing department. When she’s not at work, you can find Dawn either on the beach, in a shoe store, or at a concert.