Tag Archives: tasks

Ideas to Help Onboard New Employees

With today’s competitive labor market, it’s important that your company has an onboarding system ready to go when you get a prospective employee to say “Yes!” to joining your company. Here are some ideas:

  • Engage before day one. Once a contract is signed or a verbal acceptance given, candidates may still be hearing from other companies that they have interviewed with and could easily rescind their acceptance. So, keep your company front of mind until day one by making periodic check-ins to answer any questions and ensure your new employee knows what to bring and do on their first day of work.
  • Immediately schedule one-on-one meetings with the supervisor. A study by Microsoft Analytics found that employees who got little or no one-on-one time with direct managers were more likely to be disengaged. Similarly, in a LinkedIn survey, 72 percent of respondents said that such one-on-one time was the most important part of their onboarding process. Whether these meetings take place in person or virtually, consider scheduling several one-on-one meetings with the new employee’s manager throughout the first few months of employment.
  • Schedule meetings with other team members. In addition to scheduling one-on-one meetings with the new employee’s supervisor, consider scheduling meetings with other team members. These meetings will help the new employee further develop more personal connections with people throughout the company.
  • Ensure equipment arrives on time. With widespread supply chain disruptions still plaguing many industries, double-check with your suppliers that all necessary equipment arrives and is set up and tested prior to your new employee’s first day.
  • Develop milestones. Many new employees are unsure of their performance during the initial months of a new job. To help both the employee understand how they are doing and to give your business an idea of what tasks you want your new employee to be responsible for, consider developing a list of milestones to ensure the new employee is being properly utilized.

Organized Business Records Save Time and Money

Here are some suggestions to help you master the art of documenting and organizing your business now and in the future.

  • Document policies and procedures. Write down daily responsibilities, skills needed to complete tasks related to these responsibilities, and the location of all paper and electronic files. Appoint and cross-train backup staff to ensure these daily tasks are done.
  • Document your succession plan. It may not be for another 10 or 20 years, but documenting your succession plan is critical for both you as the owner and for your employees. Consider how much longer you plan on owning the business and who you have in mind to take over after you leave. If you currently don’t have a successor in mind, document your plan to either train or find this person(s).
  • Document your tax planning strategy. Be aware of possible tax incentives, such as credits for hiring certain workers and accelerated depreciation available for acquiring business assets. For example, for asset purchases, retain receipts and record the purchase details. These details include the type of equipment, the acquisition date, the amount of the purchase, the date you began using the equipment, and a schedule of related set-up costs.
  • Organize your daily documents. Organize your desk by shredding documents with sensitive information and scanning older papers into computer files. The most efficient method is to scan, file, and shred as soon as you are finished with a document. If you don’t have time, consider assigning document organization to specific employees and making it a task to be completed on a daily basis.

You’re busy, and you may feel that organizing your records will take more time than you have available. But spend a minute and consider how using these organizational tips may save you not only time, but money as well.