You have hired new employees and you have put them through the orientation process. Just a short while ago, these employees felt like going into High School or College the first few days, trying to figure out what to do and where to go and when to do those things. Now that orientation has concluded, they know everything from benefit packages to where to find the closest restroom.
Now as they begin to settle into regular company life, what happens? Here are 7 ways to engage employees once you have them oriented properly.
1. Ask for ideas and input on challenges and company needs.
The most valuable time to get fresh ideas from employees is during their first 90 to 120 days working at your company. Coming from the outside, they have been through orientation, but they have not yet been assimilated. After employees have been with you for a while, they begin to accept certain situations as normal, so they don’t spend any time thinking about changing them or asking questions. New people always wonder why we do certain things and in certain ways.
2. Share company information with them to give them ownership in what they do.
Don’t wait to give them trust or try to make them earn it. Extend trust to them immediately, let them know they have just as important of a role to play as anyone else on the team, therefore they have access to the information same as the others.
3. Give them a reason to engage.
Besides having a clear core ideology that your company follows as a guiding force that is shared among the entire staff, you need to make sure you also have clear business goals and priorities. Make sure your new hires have a part to play in those goals and strategic priorities. Make their job highly important from an execution and goal achievement standpoint as soon as possible.
4. Have a personal development process ready.
People gravitate toward leaders who have their personal best interest at heart. Have a solid development plan that matches their envisioned career trajectory. Not only putting them to work right away, but educating and developing them will solidify the relationship and engagement.
5. Integrate them into the fun.
Every team in the organization should be having some kind of fun integrated into their hard work. Make sure all new employees are involved and have some feedback on the teambuilding and fun activities their work group is doing.
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