May 6, 2009
The First Day On The Job
You probably can’t remember the details of what you did at work on an average work day 3 months ago……..
but I bet you can remember some details of your first day on the job even if it was 3 years ago.
I spent most of my day yesterday overhearing my new cubicle neighbor at work jump through a bunch of the same new hire hoops that I had to jump through on my first day several years ago.
Getting her phone and voice mail set up. Figuring out access to our VPN and other systems. Meeting people in the hallways. Ordering office supplies. Struggling to figure out benefits stuff. Etc.
This got me thinking……
- New hires should feel welcomed and valued on that first day.
- A new hire shouldn’t have to figure out the organizational structure and operating model on their own. Draw it out clearly for them on a piece of paper. If you can’t fit it on a piece of paper, then your organizational structure and operating model might be too complicated.
- A new hire is nervous on their first day. They shouldn’t be nervous and alone. Properly introduce them to everyone. Create opportunities for them to get to know people.
- If a new hire goes home after their first day and they don’t know the Vision, the Mission, the Strategy, and the Goals of the organization, then you made a mistake. Actually, you probably should have spent hours talking through that stuff before you even hired them.
- The 2 T’s. Tools and Training. The tools and training they will need to be a killer employee should be ready. Send new hires the message that you are going to give them the tools and training they need to be awesome.
- And last, but certainly not least, their first day of their new job should be better than the last day of their old job.
How does your organization treat new hires?
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Great post Aaron, nobody knows more than you that I too have a passion for loving people and the workplace is a great place to show God's love through us. Let me play the side of the employer, hope you don't see this as poking fun, but only to help show how right you are!
Dear Mr. New Hire,
I have read your feedback from your experiences your first day at Premier Company. As you grow in your role here I am sure will see your values match up with ours, that is the reason we found you to be a good fit for our company. We do our best to set up our employees for success and your first day at the office was one of those events. Let me reply to your feed back point by point. Please feel free to submit future feedback, as you know giving and receiving feedback is one of our core values.
* New hires should feel welcomed and valued on that first day.
Response: We believe nothing says we value you and welcome to the team more than, you are the same as us, and you are on you’re an individual. You thought you knew us; you would change the world here. Well, take a seat its going to be a little while. Our culture is complex and you may need some time to leave the traditions of your past company behind to embrace ours.
* A new hire shouldn’t have to figure out the organizational structure and operating model on their own. Draw it out clearly for them on a piece of paper. If you can’t fit it on a piece of paper, then your organizational structure and operating model might be too complicated.
Response: We hire only the best and the brightest. It takes a complex organization to solve the complex problems that led to our company’s existence. We believe if we needed to hold their hand while solving simple problems like voice mail and office supplies they might expect us to do the same when they need to solve real problems that we hired you to solve.
* A new hire is nervous on their first day. They shouldn’t be nervous and alone. Properly introduce them to everyone. Create opportunities for them to get to know people.
Response: Your first day was designed to help you develop on your own a social network that sink or swim you learn to leverage others to get things done to solve problems that you have as your personal agenda. Nothing working is the opportunity we created to help them get to know the people who run all the behind the scene that make our company really work.
* If a new hire goes home after their first day and they don’t know the Vision, the Mission, the Strategy, and the Goals of the organization, then you made a mistake. Actually, you probably should have spent hours talking through that stuff before you even hired them.
Response: When you were interviewed you boasted how much you already know about us. Therefore we do not waste any more time on that topic. Now the first thing you need to figure out day one, now that you know that you made it, is to know for yourselves why are you here and what objectives do you have. Later, we tell them what ours are and you will be motivated by our much better mission, disengaged and move on. Only you can inspire you.
* The 2 T’s. Tools and Training. The tools and training they will need to be a killer employee should be ready. Send new hires the message that you are going to give them the tools and training they need to be awesome.
Response: We are all individuals with individual ambitions working together by serving our own self-interest we serve the interest of the company. If you come in with that know it all spirit from the successful interview and instantly given everything they need to execute their revolutionary ideas you would be dangerous to the empire building that those who were gracious enough to allow you to join the company spent years building. You need to know you will be empowered slowly as they become mature in your role and know our culture. Besides this experience has shown us in the past to drive home the message that you need to be a team player and you need your team.
* And last, but certainly not least, their first day of their new job should be better than the last day of their old job.
Response: Your last day will be your best. Rest assured when you leave here leaving with all our trade secrets, client knowledge, and worst of all knowing our weaknesses we do not want you to leave on a bad note! Your last day will give the climatic “I wish them the best” feeling as we release you into the wild corporate jungle.
When you were hired on we acknowledge your potential. First day humbled you and let you know how little you really are. And for the rest of the time at the company we loved you and trained you up to be a strong performer. When you grow up and leave for the next company we will wish you the best because we know we trained you well and you will go out and make us proud.
Insincerely,
Teddy H.
CEO Premier Company
Our people are our biggest assets
great comment…….and entertaining too ;-)