You've made the transition from solopreneur to managing several employees. Each new hire feels like a valuable addition to your growing business, and you couldn't be more pleased. But when you have a team as small as yours, you want to make sure your new employees feel the same way.
From connecting over cocktails to shadowing your staff, your onboarding process should welcome your newest hires in the best possible way. That's why we asked six entrepreneurs from FounderSociety the following question:
Q. As a small business looking to hire a team for the first time, what elements create a successful onboarding experience, and what should I be aware of?
1. Cocreate a work plan with learning goals
One of the best things you can do with a new employee on day one is to sit down and discuss what he/she wants to learn. Then work together to create a work plan that incorporates those personal learning goals. If people feel like they are learning, growing, and working on things they care about, they are much more likely to work hard and stay with your company. —Lisa Curtis, Kuli Kuli
2. Connect over cocktails
When we onboarded our most recent employee at eFlirt, we met with her over cocktails before her first day to welcome her to the team. It's an untraditional approach, but it created a warm environment for us all to connect before the training began and the "to dos" piled up. She told me it calmed her nerves, and I noticed it created instant camaraderie with her peers and manager. —Laurie Davis, eFlirt
3. Let them shadow other staff
Before asking new employees to work independently, let them shadow you or other staff on existing meetings and projects. This way, they can understand what you do and how you talk about your work. When we hired our new project manager, she sat in on as many calls with clients as possible for the first two weeks. She was able to get valuable context on the work that we were performing before she began working on her own. —Kathryn Hawkins, Eucalypt Media
4. Set expectations and a timeline
There's a lot to do when you onboard new employees: application, benefits, payroll, values, and much more. Rather than drop a book of rules and expectations on them immediately, try distributing them over the course of a few months. Start with getting them up to speed with your company and values, then slowly introduce rules and expectations. Have weekly one-on-ones and monthly reviews. —John Koht, kohactive
5. Emphasize team building
I don't even want my new employees to work on the first day. I would rather they talk with my current employees in order to form a camaraderie. I want all my employees to enjoy coming to work rather than dread it. It can make a big difference. —Ajmal Saleem, Suprex Learning
6. Hold an open dialogue
At AlignedSigns.com, we believe knowledge can only bring about positive change. Holding an open dialogue that continually broadens the skill sets of our team members keeps employees from getting bored, clarifies expectations, and offers directions toward larger goals. Employees become integral value-adds to the business, and that stimulates retention rates. —Jessica Baker, Aligned Signs
