November 20, 2014

It’s on Us! by Gina Breslin

In my role at North Group, I get the privilege of walking alongside many rock solid leaders and hiring managers as they search for ideal candidates to fill a need within their organization. We work together to find an individual with not only the necessary skills to do the job, but also someone who will easily fit into their organizational culture and work environment. And, when we find that perfect match – when values align and the skills and experience are there – well, it’s worth a fist pump or two.

One of the things I’ve learned along the way, though, is that it can’t stop there. I strongly believe that even after proper orientation, onboarding and training, there is something more that’s needed.

As my colleague, Daryl Leisey, puts it, “Organizations must work to make their employees successful.”

As employers, are we willing to admit that some of the responsibility of having successful employees lies on our shoulders?

Consider these practices when you want to help ensure success for new team members:

• Communicate often the purpose and values of your organization
• Learn what brings workplace satisfaction to the new employee
• Let them know regularly how they’re doing
• Ask them for their perspective on how things are going
• Share your thinking behind requests that you make of them
• Remember that new employees may bring helpful new perspectives. Be open to learning from them

You are only as good as your people. How will you make your new employees successful?