Okay, as your Transportation & Logistics recruiter, we have provided you with a “water walker” candidate you just hired. We have a replacement warranty so you can reload but do you have a good onboarding program so we all can avoid the loss of time & money involved with turning a good transportation candidate over due to lack of a comprehensive onboarding process? Having a good process increases your chances of having a less turnover over the long haul.
1) Let employees know a new employee is coming aboard
Before the new employee’s first day, send an email to all employees welcoming the new person to the company. Your email should tell them the new employee’s role, summarize their experience, advise them what the new employee’s job is and encourage them to welcome the newcomer. That way they can be on notice to assist the newcomer on the first day.
2) Have the new employee’s work area ready to go
This will really help the first impression that the employee will have of your company. As a “newbie”, nothing is worse than not having the tools needed to be successful. Set up the new employee’s computer, email and phone number ahead of time plus provide any necessary office supplies. This employee will feel valued from the first day. It will also show this employee how professional and well organized your company is.
3) Ensure your new employee has access to any necessary programs
You need to have all necessary programs, software & electronic files they need on their first day. You should have this done in advance of them starting. Overlooking this step can throw a brick into the new employee’s training, stall their ability to get to work, and in turn affect their impression of your company.
4) Make Introductions
Make room in the schedule for meeting key people and departments on their first day. This will give them a good overview of where to go to get what they need. These introductions will give them a good overview of your company, how it works, and how their role fits into the overall scheme of things.
5) Plan a team lunch
Setup a lunch or after-work gathering for the new employee and their immediate team members the first week. It can be arranged to have it in a conference room and those involved can bring their own lunches. The important thing is that it will help break the ice and allow the employees get to know the team members in a relaxed atmosphere. When the new employee feels valued by their team on a personal & business level, they are more inclined to stick around for the long haul.
6) Allow enough time for training
The first week or longer the new employee should focus on training. Even if it’s the same job function as what the employee had before, there is bound to be differences between the two companies. Having a training plan in place is a very important and vital part of helping new employees find the bearing in the new organization. The training plan should include rules, processes, procedures and expectations. Assign a mentor from the employee’s department will also help them acclimate to their new job by giving them a person who is ready to answer their questions and walk them through some of their job duties.
7) Follow-up
It is important to have a 30, 60- and 90-day check-in with the new employee. This is the step that is the most critical and often the most overlooked one by employers. Take you time to be thoughtful and do your homework. The employer can learn how the onboarding process works as these first few weeks are the most influential to the new hire’s positive or negative outlook on your company.
If you use this to format your onboarding process and stick with the 7 items, you will have less turnover. Your company will lover the results and so will we, your transportation/Logistics recruiting firm of choice!
With unemployment hitting historic lows, it is a great time to be a Transportation and Logistics Recruiter because my clients are relying on us to source hard to find quality talent like never before!
At Crabtree & Eller we recruit specifically in Transportation and Logistics and focus on a high level of service in the areas of Ocean Freight, Air Freight, Logistics, Trucking and Rail. If you have hiring needs we can help. Give me a call at 303-814-5878 or email me at Steve@crabtreeandeller.com .