Authors: Arielle Langlais, CTSM and Maddie Ogren, CTSM
If we are to believe the business press, ‘quiet quitting’ is a major management challenge right now. Quiet quitting occurs when employees put no more effort into their jobs than the absolutely necessary minimum. A 2022 Gallup survey suggested that at least half of the U.S. workforce consists of quiet quitters.
How to solve the problem of employees who are not engaged? First, let’s offer a reasonable explanation. Because many companies lost employees during and after the pandemic and because, on the flip side, many people are looking for jobs, hiring a new employee is too often plug-and-play, hoping that the new person will pick up knowledge and skills as they move along. That’s leaving too much to chance; hiring and firing new employees is costly.
How Do We Get It Right the First Time?
One solution is developing an onboarding process. Orientation should not be confused with onboarding. Orientation is that first-day process of filling out insurance forms, touring the facility, and stopping at a few desks to say hi. All of that is important, but those activities don’t get to the heart of the matter.
Onboarding requires engagement from the very beginning and throughout the entire process. Actually, onboarding should start as soon as a person accepts the job offer. It helps if you have a map that guides the onboarding process with clear, concise expectations and deliverables.
What to Do on Day One
Put together an agenda and make appointments. The new hire should meet people who will be the key resources: finance, IT, HR., and their department head. If they collaborate with other departments, be sure you include them. Also, build in a little breathing space for both you and the new person.
If ongoing projects may involve the new employee sooner rather than later, encourage participation in conference calls or Zoom meetings. Explain the actual work as you go through the agenda.
Setting Milestones
After the first week, your new person should start to become familiar with internal systems and know where to turn with questions. After the first month, the person should be up to speed and taking responsibility for their tasks. They should feel free to interact with people internally to build their credibility, influence, and internal network.
Filling in the Gaps
No one gets everything right the first time. After 30 days, assess and evaluate the person’s performance. What can be improved—and what is the best road to improvement? Consider the quality, accuracy, and organization of the person’s work. Do they take initiative? Are they a team player? Do they communicate? If you have received constructive feedback from other departments, share it with the employee if you feel the feedback is helpful.
At the same time, allow the employee to evaluate their own performance. What do they consider their early achievements and challenges? Do they see areas where it would be beneficial to have more coaching or training? Have they adjusted their goals in the past 30 days?
We have created a roadmap to help you implement the onboarding process. Download the roadmap here—and good luck finding the right person to join your team!
