Part of my recruitment process, is always to check in on both employer and employee, throughout the first 3 months.

My reasoning? Because a new employee’s first 3-6 months is generally considered the highest period of risk in terms of potential turnover.

How they are treated in the first part of their tenure can be the difference between an employee with a long term commitment to your organisation, and one who leaves before the year is out. In the current climate, they may become disillusioned very quickly and are likely to quit unexpectedly, or are vulnerable to being poached by another employer. It has also been shown the more quickly an employee is integrated and settled into a new working environment, the faster they will achieve productivity returns for an employer.

So what can you do to maximise your employee’s experience?

• Ensure they have the right tools required for the role.
• Determine if additional skills need to be developed – Acknowledgment of skills development and training as required – and make sure what is offered comes to fruition!
• Implement a creative and structured induction program including business history, values, strategy and financial goals of the organisation.
• Meet and greet session with other staff; a walk around building with full explanations.
• Regular formal and informal two-way feedback to assess the employee’s progress and concerns.
• An explanation and example of a performance review.
• A tailored coaching and mentoring program or an agreed career development plan in place that will add value to the new employee’s career growth.