After overseeing the hiring of more than 125,000 new employees over the course of my career, I am convinced of the importance of clarity on the on-boarding process. At that moment, questions abound: the new employee is anxious about everything on that first day; their family is anxious that their loved one made the right decision; and their colleagues are anxious about who is joining the team. Clarity is the antidote to all of that anxiety, and therefore, clarity should be the preoccupation of those responsible for alleviating that anxiety. Examples of clarifying strategies include (1) lots of contact before the start date to answer questions, provide instructions, and set times and places for reporting, (2) follow those up with written instruction and FAQs, (3) assign a point person to call and exchange contact info so the new employee can check again if needed, (4) provide the new employee with a mentor who will provide introductions, directions where to go and how to get there, and follow up regularly. Remember your first day at work and do what’s needed to make sure any problems you experienced don’t happen to your new hires. If you do nothing else as a leader, be clear today.
Marcus Buckingham (b. 1966): British author, motivational speaker and business consultant
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