What to do after hiring someone
After going through the proper hiring process, finding the perfect candidate, and he/she accepts the position, it is important to be ready to integrate them into the job on the first day. This type of preparedness is important. For instance, identify which employee the new hire will shadow for a few days until he/she becomes acquainted with company procedures. Another option is to have a true training procedure that every new employee follows.
This author frequently hears from clients running seasonal businesses that they do not want to hire too soon and would rather wait until they have steady work on schedule. The rationale is they can send the new hire out into the field rather than having him/her sit around the office and no money is coming in to cover their salary. The question comes up if it is worth the investment and this author’s answer every time is “Yes.”
In this author’s experience, the average training period for a new employee in the pool and hot tub industry is a minimum of 18 months. This is not in reference to his/her ability to perform everyday tasks (e.g. pool vacuuming, water testing, loading a pool kit, etc.), but more to the point where he/she can be relied on 100 per cent to handle whatever comes their way. They either know how to solve the problems they are facing or have the appropriate amount of knowledge of where to turn or how to research the situation to find the right solution. Getting a new employee to this stage not only takes time, but it also takes an investment on the company’s end.
The average cost to hire a new employee is approximately $1200. This includes the recruitment process, the administrative hours spent reading resumes, setting up and conducting interviews, and the paperwork process when hired. Then, add one-on-one time with management, self-study (whether via video, manuals, or online), and certification programs. The costs can add up quickly.
This is why it is important to be sure the right candidate has been hired before making this type of investment. New and current employees must show long-term commitment in return. This circles back to the important topic of retention. Not only does this have a financial impact on the business, it also affects company morale.
If an employee and employer were to sit down separately and asked the same questions, would the answers be the same? Questions like “Are you actively looking for another job?”, “Do you respect your current management?”, “Do you feel you have the same values as your employer?”, or “Do you feel you are appreciated and valued at this company?” The answers may be surprising.
- 30 per cent believe they will be working for someone else in
12 months or less; - 40 per cent do not respect the person they report to;
- 50 per cent say they have different values than his/her employer;
- 60 per cent feel their career goals are on a different path than what their employers have for them; and
- 70 per cent do not feel appreciated or valued.
The question then becomes why are they leaving and how can it be fixed? The following are some of the most common reasons this author has come across:
-
The job is not what they expected
It is very common that a job posting and interview conversations are not what the job duties entail. Therefore, the importance of consistency between a company’s job description, job listing, and interview questions cannot be emphasized enough. An employer wants to be sure it does not create a mistrust because they lured a candidate in and now have him/her doing something completely different.
-
Work/life imbalance
This is likely not the first time employers in the pool and hot tub business have heard this phrase before. For instance, are there times when management expects an employee to do the job of two or more people? This means longer hours and working weekends. As a result, employees are forced to choose between work and home.
-
It just is not the right fit
No matter how much an employer loves a candidate, they should not be hired unless he/she is qualified for the job and will work well within the company structure. Many times, companies hire someone because the candidate is a nice person, but is wrong for the job.
-
Feeling undervalued
Some employees go out of their way to perform well at his/her job, but feel no one notices. This is not to say employees need to be told “great job” for everything they are expected to do, but the need to be recognized for a job well done is in one’s nature. Therefore, any extra praise an employer can give its employees is not only nice, but is also effective in building communication by appreciating an employee’s efforts and successes.
