New employee checklist – Top 5

06 August 2014

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Imagine a situation where you turn up for your first day at work, no one is there to greet you or show you around. You have to introduce yourself to team members and explain why you are there. Is this going to inspire you to work hard and engage with your new organisation, or are you going to start thinking you have made a terrible mistake?

In the scenario above the ‘psychological contract’ between the employer and the new starter has been broken before it could be formed. The psychological contract is the implicit understanding we all have of how we expect to be treated as employees and, in return, how much we can be expected to put into our jobs. Having a new employee checklist is a great way of ensuring that the hiring process runs smoothly with both the new employee and the existing staff made to feel comfortable with the transition.

1. Employee induction

Having a clear system of orientation for employees is essential to a successful hiring process.

2. Employee information and ID

It is important to gather all relevant information from employees on day one or before.

3. Payroll information

Every new member of staff will be anxious not to have any problems with their first paycheck so it is important to get all payroll information from them for your payroll department. This can be done in advance online to further streamline t
he process.

4. Health and Safety

Health and Safety obligations need to be met by all employers and the ideal time to go through these is when a staff member is starting in the job. This will set out any possible hazards, best practices, protocol and employee obligations.

5. Colleague introductions and walk through

The first day in the office or on-site can be challenging for all, even for the new worker’s colleagues who have to get used to a new face! Introductions to colleagues in an informal manner plus a full walk through of facilities is an excellent way to put the person at ease and avoid them having to ask where the bathrooms are later on!   Recruiting new employees is an expensive process, both financially and through loss of productivity due to the staff changeover process. Improving employee orientations is a key area that can help support high levels of staff retention. An effective orientation programme helps minimise mistakes caused by errors in communication and clarifies standards and expectations. A good orientation enables new employees to enter the workplace confidently, and assists them in integrating and learning. In the long term, the time and effort put into orientations saves the organisation money by reducing recruitment costs and keeping productivity high. If you would like to learn more about online employee orientations click on the welcome mat.

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Sonya Sikra

Sonya is the Brand Strategy Manager at GoContractor. She specializes in communicating how implementing tech in construction can drive productivity and profit.

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