Rather than let the grapevine do its inevitable worst, give relevant information to the rest of your subordinates on the new person and his / her role in the group. Better still, adopt the practice of peer group interviewing whenever the post demands team/project work, or when close liaison with colleagues is essential to the success of the task.
Attention to detail and investment of time at this stage will be repaid tenfold when your new recruit arrives with an image of an organization and a boss he really wants to work for from day one.
What happens next depends on your organization’s training and recruitment policy. One major car manufacturer does not allow any new recruit near a company desk or workbench for 8 weeks. During this time new personnel go through an intensive induction course covering technical and administrative procedures and, of course, company culture and values. Public sector employers tend to do far less and a 1-day general inducting course sometime during the first 2 months of employment, and perhaps a wordy and largely incomprehensible handbook, may be all that is provided.
If your organization has a formal induction course, ensure that you know exactly what takes place and brief new staff on its purpose and content before they attend. If possible, offer to make a short presentation at the course, or join the group informally at the coffee or lunch break. If handled properly, such a show of interest is usually welcomed by trainers. It demonstrates commitment to your own staff as well as keeping in close touch with their early experiences. Once you know what is going on, you may wish to make some constructive suggestions for developing or improving the inducting course. You have a genuine vested interest; it is your people who are attending it. If you are the managing director or chief executive of the company, you should in any case be playing a key role in both the formal and informal aspects of company induction course.
Ask new starts to arrive on their first day an hour or so after the working day has begun. This enables you do deal with any urgent matters before devoting time exclusively to the new member of your team. There should be an initial welcome and briefing to clarify any outstanding recruitment or personal problems. If there are any, take action immediately. If your new recruit has just been gazumped and has his wife, mother-in-law, two kids and the dog living in a caravan in the company car park, his mind will not be entirely on his new job.
Attention to detail and investment of time at this stage will be repaid tenfold when your new recruit arrives with an image of an organization and a boss he really wants to work for from day one.
What happens next depends on your organization’s training and recruitment policy. One major car manufacturer does not allow any new recruit near a company desk or workbench for 8 weeks. During this time new personnel go through an intensive induction course covering technical and administrative procedures and, of course, company culture and values. Public sector employers tend to do far less and a 1-day general inducting course sometime during the first 2 months of employment, and perhaps a wordy and largely incomprehensible handbook, may be all that is provided.
If your organization has a formal induction course, ensure that you know exactly what takes place and brief new staff on its purpose and content before they attend. If possible, offer to make a short presentation at the course, or join the group informally at the coffee or lunch break. If handled properly, such a show of interest is usually welcomed by trainers. It demonstrates commitment to your own staff as well as keeping in close touch with their early experiences. Once you know what is going on, you may wish to make some constructive suggestions for developing or improving the inducting course. You have a genuine vested interest; it is your people who are attending it. If you are the managing director or chief executive of the company, you should in any case be playing a key role in both the formal and informal aspects of company induction course.
Ask new starts to arrive on their first day an hour or so after the working day has begun. This enables you do deal with any urgent matters before devoting time exclusively to the new member of your team. There should be an initial welcome and briefing to clarify any outstanding recruitment or personal problems. If there are any, take action immediately. If your new recruit has just been gazumped and has his wife, mother-in-law, two kids and the dog living in a caravan in the company car park, his mind will not be entirely on his new job.
