Finding, hiring and training new employees can take up a lot of a manager’s time. The absolute last thing any manager wants to do is to begin the hiring process all over again because that new hire just left after three months.
In order to avoid repeating this very time consuming process, it’s important to ask new employees the correct questions as soon as they arrive. This will help eliminate any potential problems that can cause that new hire to walk out.
Do not make the common mistake of waiting until an employee’s performance or behavior shows there is a problem before talking with said employee. By then, it could be too late and the employee is already on his way out the door.
Be sure to meet with new hires within the first 60 days. Learn what their likes and dislikes are about the job and the work environment. Ask them if the job meets their expectations and uncover any potential problems before it is too late.
Begin the meeting by letting the new employees know that you’re glad they’re part of the organization, and that you value their feedback.
Here are some great questions to start out with:
- Why do you think we selected you as an employee?
- What do you like about the job and the organization?
- What’s been going well? What are the highlights of your experiences so far? Why?
- Do you have enough, too much or too little time to do your work?
- How do you see your job relating to the organization’s mission?
- What do you need to learn to improve? What can the organization do to help you become more successful in your job? (Don’t ask these two questions unless you are prepared to follow up with an action. Otherwise, you can build false expectations, and that can cause disappointment.)
- Tell me what you don’t understand about your job and about our organization.
- Compare the organization to what we explained it would be like.
- Which co-workers have been helpful since you arrived? (Goal: Pinpoint which employees can be influential in retaining the new hire.)
- Who do you talk to when you have questions about work? Do you feel comfortable asking?
- Does your supervisor clearly explain what the organization expects of you?
- How does it go when your supervisor offers constructive criticism or corrects your work?
- Do you believe your ideas are valued? Give examples.
- How well do you get along with co-workers?
- Have you had any uncomfortable situations or conflicts with supervisors, co-workers or customers?
Always be sure to close the discussion by asking the employee if he or she has any questions for you or suggestions on how the job can be managed better.
Let CyQuest help you with your recruitment, on-boarding, and orientation needs.
For questions or a free HR Assessment, call us at 404-761-6699 or fill out a contact form and we will follow up with you.
We provide top to bottom HR Consulting, as well as, Government Contracting training and education.