Take another P.E.E.P. at onboarding new employees

Take another P.E.E.P. at onboarding new employees

Written By: SarahJane DiMichele ABL Employment Inc. Manager for Staff Training & Development “Onboarding” is the term used to describe the successful integration of new employees through initial orientation, set-up and training. “P.E.E.P” stands

for:

P-ersonal

E-ngaged

E-ducated

P-roductive

Whether full-time or temporary hires, these concepts represent the key to helping a new employee feel appreciated and become valuable quickly, while minimising the very costly occurrence of initial turnover, confusion, and mistakes.

Personal: Meet her at the door on her first day… don’t leave her waiting or wandering around trying to find her own way. Have the newby’s workspace ready before she arrives: Nothing says “you’re just a body” like making someone wait all morning while you find a working computer and an unused desk for her to use.

Meet her at the door on her first day… don’t leave her waiting or wandering around trying to find her own way. Have the newby’s workspace ready before she arrives: Nothing says “you’re just a body” like making someone wait all morning while you find a working computer and an unused desk for her to use.

Insure the work-space has all the supplies needed. Insure she has the appropriate uniform/equipment items assigned to her, a locker or other area set aside for storing personal belongings while at work, a clean-&-clear desk/work area, a list of her personal log-ins/passwords/internal contact list, a timesheet/punch card, and an info session on how and when to use the phone/pager system etc.

Engaged:

Make sure you have properly prepared your existing team by informing them in advance of the arrival of the new team member. Explain the reason for the addition/change and how this will benefit them, and get a commitment from the team to make this a successful venture. Arrange a buddy-system for the newby for tours and lunch breaks for the first few days or weeks, and for that person to make the appropriate introductions to other staff including supervisors/managers etc. Arrange a mentor for technical/job-specific training. Make sure this person has complete buy-in as to the reason a new hire is needed, and how the success of the new hire will benefit them. Tell the newby about the company sports team, or an upcoming company picnic, lunch-n-learns, etc. This will help them feel welcome as a complete person, and not just a number. Make sure she knows about the perks and privileges of working at your organisation, and when and how she can benefit from them. Explain whom to speak with to make suggestions or ask questions, and *encourage* this. Educated: Insure the newby is informed of pay and work schedules, break/lunch times, dress codes, OT policies, timesheet procedures, authorisation procedures, Health & Safety, privacy and harassment procedures. Make sure she knows where to find this information for herself in case of future need.

Productive:

Insure there is a mature, knowledgeable person assigned to explain job responsibilities, success criteria, standards/quality control, reporting policies. Encourage the newby to check in with a specific supervisor at the beginning and end of every day to brief/debrief on what she learned and/or accomplished, and to address any questions that have come up.

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