Recently, one of our candidates started a new job as a Director of Sales with a Healthcare IT start-up.
The tech was interesting, the career progression opportunities even more so, and the pay was not bad either. But the thing that charmed our candidate the most was the fact that the company went out of their way to make them feel welcome and part of the team the minute they got the offer.
Not only did their VP of Sales dedicate a full day to fly to the UK from Germany and hand our candidate their contract in person, but he also made sure to travel down to HQ and be the one to walk through the doors alongside them on their first day. He then personally introduced them to the rest of the team.
Our candidate felt a real sense of belonging and welcoming rather than the doubtful optimism that is so familiar to many new employees.
Our client had understood a vital truth:
Your staff is one of the most important investments you can make. Get this wrong and you risk wasting valuable time and money only to have to start the recruitment process all over again.
Many companies think successful on-boarding is all about showing off – from popping bottles of champagne to giving out flashy tech.
But as the example above demonstrates, there is no need for any of that really. Simply treat your candidates and new-hires like you do your customers.
Openly appreciate the commitment they have just made to you and make sure they have all the tools and information needed in order to enter into a successful collaboration.
This is literally as simple as greeting them at the door on their first day, setting up their desk, and checking if they have understood both the written and unwritten (!) rules of your organisation.
Even if this takes away some time from other tasks, it is an investment that will pay off with a positive, constructive, and longer-lasting working relationship.
Companies that neglect this run the risk of dampening their new employee’s enthusiasm or even worse, losing their new investment altogether. We’ve known candidates to leave because they weren’t provided access to the internal intranet or because they had to wait for their company car for months!
Just as you invest time, energy and effort in recruiting the right people, you should spend time, energy and effort in welcoming them on board.
After all, companies prosper or fail based on the connections forged between their people. Investing in people means investing straight into your own success.
Since 2000, Guided Solutions has been helping growth-focused, technology-driven Medical Device SMEs reach their potential by connecting them with the industry’s top leadership talent.
Whether you have a priority hire requiring immediate attention or you are simply exploring the idea of adding to your team and would like some advice, get in touch and we will guide you through the hiring journey.