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As an employer, you have spent time and money finding the perfect candidate for a job opening at your company. However, while you have found a candidate that fits your specifications, including his work experience, educational background, and unique skill set, this doesn’t necessarily mean that he will be a good fit for your company. The first weeks and months of a new employee’s entrance into a company acts as a trial period, where the employee and employer find out if the working relationship is going to work out. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons some employees won’t end up succeeding and the employer will be back to square one.

Reasons New Employees Fail

  • Recruitment problems. The recruitment is one of the reasons why a new employee fails. Failure to check personal references and thoroughly investigate skills, personality, attitude, or professional interests may lead to an employee’s downfall within your company.
  • Inadequate introduction. Not inducting the new employee into the company and the way his role fits with the rest of the business model can unfortunately lead to failure. This may include not having a proper orientation for the employee, failing to explain in detail this individual’s position, the rules and regulations of the company, and internal processes of your business.
  • Inadequate communication. Communication is key with any new business relationship, including one between a new employee and employer. If the new employee did not get clear instructions on what each of her duties are, why they are done and in what order, the details of their job duties can get blurred. As an extension of not communicating properly with the new employee, the rules, regulations, and code of conduct at your company may lead to potential behaviors which are not accepted or tolerated. Knowing and understanding the rules is pertinent for any new employee.
  • Lack of direction and improper training. If the new employee was not told upfront who to go to for assistance or who to report to, she may seek advice from the wrong person and get answers or help that doesn’t mesh well with her direct superior.
  • Lack of performance feedback. A part of having a successful business relationship with a new employee is proper business management. If an employee is not given the proper feedback when doing their various job tasks incorrectly, he may continue to do the task incorrectly, leading to the new employee failing without being given a chance to improve.

 

How to Help New Employees Succeed

While it can be frustrating when a new employee doesn’t work out with your company, it is also possible to take steps to avoid this from happening.

Communication is crucial from the very beginning of the recruitment process, when you are creating the advertisement for the job vacancy. Be as detailed as possible both about the type of candidate you are looking for and the skills they must possess.

Take your time through the interview process, to ensure you have chosen the best possible candidate for the position.

On their very first day of work, the employee should be clear about the company’s rules, the job description, duties, and what is expected of them, as well as various management personnel they should go to for assistance.

Don’t let previous failures with new employees keep you from improving the recruitment and orientation process in the future. By learning from what hasn’t worked in the past, you can use this knowledge to move forward and find a new employee that works well with your company.


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