Recruitment red flags
I remember starting a job some years ago. I was told I was successful on a Monday afternoon and got that feeling of elation you only get from knowing you’ve been selected from the masses and have made it to be ‘the chosen one’. It was a no brainer when I said yes. I’d really liked my interviewer, my new boss seemed great and the building I was to work in was amazing! I couldn’t wait to start!
Then I entered the count down, waiting until I could get started. I didn’t hear anything for nearly 2 weeks – no calls, no emails, no letters, then a call out the blue on a Friday afternoon, saying I start on the Monday.
When Monday came, there was no one prepared to meet me when I arrived, they hadn’t asked me to bring anything with me, none of my kit was ready and I had no accounts set up to access anything. They’d been completely unprepared, and it was a terrible first experience.
I still remember driving home that evening with a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. ‘What have I done?!’ I thought. What was this company I was getting involved in..?
It wasn’t a great first impression for a role I’d been really looking forward to, and a big red flag for the way they worked as an organisation. The outcome… when things didn’t get much better, I left after 6 months.
The human edge
But was this situation avoidable? Would I have given it a better chance if my experience had been improved?
Since I’ve started working closely with HR Professionals it’s made me really think about this more. First impressions are absolutely key, and we use them in most aspects of our lives. Whether we’re booking a holiday and looking at pictures online and reading the hotel reviews, or viewing a house and not getting that feeling of it being the right one. Even going on a date and just not feeling it after that first meeting. We’re emotional creatures and these human instincts matter to us.
Nowhere to hide
People have so much choice in today’s world of work, with many options when it comes to applying, reviewing and selecting who we work for. The availability of information for people to make those instinctive assessments of fit between your organisation with them as an employee makes this the way people are assessing employers. From looking at your corporate website and LinkedIn, to speaking to existing staff and looking at reviews on sites like Glassdoor, people get first impressions of your business before putting themselves forward to be considered for a role or meeting you for the first time.
Your brand's experience
That’s why we must not under estimate an employee’s experience, from before they are on your radar to once they’ve invested in your business by agreeing to a role, and entering your onboarding process. The key as an employer is to ensure that the experience a potential employee gets is not only great in these initial stages, but then continues once they are working through your application process, interviewing, and then in to their onboarding once successful.
In my experience, the initial stages were great, but when it came to onboarding I was let down, and I didn’t forget that initial unsettling feeling.
It’s a very expensive process to recruit and lose employees simply because of experience not matching the external brand you portray.
Focus on what matters
The good thing is that it really isn’t difficult or complicated to get it right, with most professionals expecting just a few basic, easy to implement, things:
Engagement
From offer letter to the first day, make people feel welcome. You want them to be skipping into reception on the first day, already knowing what they will face, and feeling prepared to hit the ground running. This can start from the initial engagement process you run for recruitment. Remember - don’t lose touch with them.
Organisation
Something so simple yet so many people get it wrong. If you cannot organise someone’s onboarding, how can they expect you to organise and manage their careers and wellbeing properly? Think ahead, make a standard plan for new employees and set timings for key communication throughout their onboarding, to make sure you don’t miss anything and they get regular contact.
Pain free, hassle free induction
The last thing employees want to do is spend days filling out forms, supplying documents and watching H&S videos. But this doesn’t need to happen during day one. Plan ahead, use your contact points to get them prepared and save time in that first week on admin. Send those forms and gather that data ready for them to start.
Technology
We live in a digital world and we all live our lives using technology every day, so why not reflect this in your process? Love it or hate it, the world runs on technology and your employees will expect it. Try to give them a platform or HR system in which they and you can help manage their careers, starting even before they step through the door on day one.
Getting it right doesn’t mean a complex set-up of new processes or months of planning, most of it is thinking through your current experience and looking for the opportunities to improve the areas where you fall down, ticking them off one by one, each a step to HR onboarding excellence and better employee experiences with your business.
Read more about putting talent first in your businesses future plans in our new guide…