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What message are you sending to your new hires?

• Posted by: Dawn Willging
  on 08.08.2011
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  Developing People for Unprecedented Results
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Our last post focused on how to reduce new hire attrition through using simple yet effective methods from the “Captain’s Checklist” to ensure a successful transition from initial training to production. So now that the new hire is ready to go “on the floor”, what can you do to ensure their success right of the gates? In the Site Director section of the mastering the big 5 book, we talk about setting high expectations for new hires in “Your Calendar or My Watch” (pages 184-186):

“One area that we are always looking to improve is the performance of our newly hired agents. Too often we limit our new hire performance when we put a limit on what we think new hires are capable of achieving. By setting expectations too low, we provide a built-on excuse for new hires as they enter the ‘real world’…This is not to say that new hire can be expected to performance at the same level as tenured Agents, as a group. That is why a ramp on expectations should be put in place to provide the development time necessary for all your new hires to succeed. It is to say, however, that there are new hires who can perform at the same level as your tenured Agents. Even outperform tenured Agents and this is the expectation that you, and your Supervisor/Trainer Team, should work hard to create from the very first day of training.”

Does that sound familiar to you? How many of us have had the experience of seeing a new hire absolutely blow away performance expectations on Day One? As a former trainer, I know firsthand that in every new hire class, there was always at least one, and very often several new hires in each class that would hit the ground running on Day One. They not only met, but even exceeded performance levels of many of the tenured Agents. The potential is always there, it is up to leaders to create that environment and expectation. Not every new hire needs a ramp plan, but every new hire does need to know that their leaders believe in them and that they can succeed wildly! Instilling that confidence and inspiring new hires to succeed is the hallmark of a great leader, and leads to individual success and overall operational excellence.

We shared a few examples of ways that leaders can set high expectations for new hires, including challenging them to complete, establishing contests with new Agents and their Mentors and communicating to newly hired Agents know that you believe in their abilities beginning on Day One. We have heard many unique ideas on this topic in workshops, that prove that the sky is the limit when you have a plan to inspire top performance in every new hire, every time.

What works for you? How do set your new hires up for success? How do you demonstrate that you believe in their abilities to exceed expectations on Day One?