Employment Industry News
Starting a New Hire Off Right
November 2011
Starting a new employee off right can be as important as picking the right candidate. Appropriate onboarding, starting from an employee’s first day on the job, can make the difference between a long-term, effective employee and an ineffective slacker who makes you wonder why you made the hiring choice you did.
Here are some essentials:
Focus on Individual Needs
A new hire doing the same type of work and using the same tools as in his or her last job may not need much more than orientation. But a newbie who has never specifically done this type of work before will need more-formal training.
Therefore, the first step is evaluation. Where are employees in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities? Where should they be? Focus on filling that gap.
Create a Desire to Learn
Motivated employees learn better. Help instill this desire to learn by:
- Listening to employees’ concerns;
- Providing specific examples of ways the training will help them;
- Involving employees in establishing objectives, time frames and methods;
- Focusing on development, not remediation.
Make Learning Fun
Learning doesn’t have to be tedious. Create a learning environment that incorporates many elements, from removing trainees from their daily responsibilities so they can focus on training, to building enough variety into the training to keep it interesting.
Find the ‘Right’ Method
Some people read the instructions first. Others refer to the instructions only after trying to figure it out on their own. Some prefer theory, others hands-on application. Some can sit in front of a computer and follow a CBT course, others need live instruction to learn effectively. Find out how your trainees learn best and tailor your program accordingly.
Apply Learning to the Job
Memorizing concepts without understanding how those concepts are applied on the job is a waste of training time and money.
Conduct Ongoing Evaluations
Never train for the sake of training. Make sure that you have some method in place to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. These include:
- Pre- and post-training test;
- An evaluation done three to six months after the training;
- An evaluation of performance by supervisors and peers.
Follow Up
Training should be an ongoing process, not a one-time event that is soon forgotten. Don’t assume that once you’ve trained an employee, your job is done. Evaluate periodically to see if more training is needed. ▲
Four Tips for a Winning Resume
Article originally featured on about.com
By Susan Heathfield for about.com
An employer can receive hundreds of resumes in response to an advertised position. For every hundred resumes an employer receives, only a few resumes stand out from the crowd. Want your resume to shine in the eyes of the employer you want to attract? Start by including a well-written resume cover letter with the resume. Then, follow these resume guidelines to create an interview winning resume that is head and shoulders above the crowd.
Formatting and feel, on a mailed-in resume, matter. Your resume, at first glance, can impress or depress the employer. Lots of open space, a clear, easy-to-read font such as 12 point Arial, and easy-to-find and skim information, entice the employer to read on. With electronic publishing, every mailed resume should be freshly printed on high quality paper. And don’t even think of sending your application to my company in your current employer’s envelope, or with metered postage. Think about what this says about the integrity of the candidate. I receive, at least, one of these a week. Envelopes do matter.
You will likely grow tired of hearing this but correct spelling, appropriate grammar, no missing words, and no typing mistakes make your resume an employer-pleaser right out of the starting gate. An error-free resume is rare. Indeed, some hiring managers will not further consider your candidacy if they find even one mistake. Every mistake makes me pause and think. Every mistake makes me question your carefulness, care, and attention to detail. Don’t make me pause; don’t make me think.
Contact Information: In this era of instant messaging, email, and cell phones, there is absolutely no reason to make contacting you difficult for the potential employer. Yet, over half the resumes I receive have no contact information except a home phone number. And guess what? You’re never home. Give the potential employer your cell phone number, even if you have to buy a mobile for your job search. Avoid the dreaded phone tag that may make you miss out on an interview altogether.
Write and customize an “objective” for each job and employer. The objective is your opportunity to connect your skills, experience, traits, and job requirements with those the employer is seeking. Read the job posting carefully and you can pick out exactly what the employer believes he needs. Don’t settle for a lame, “I seek a challenging opportunity to utilize my skills with a progressive employer who will provide opportunities for growth.”
In response to an ad for a marketing specialist, I received this customized objective: “I am seeking a position as a marketing specialist in a growing, environmentally conscious company that will utilize my current skills in the development of advertising and other marketing materials and website design and writing. At the same time, I hope to gain experience in market research, Internet competitive analysis, and market segmentation.” Who do you think I called?
Archived Articles
Sept. 2011: 7 Steps to Successful Strategic Planning Sessions
Aug. 2011: Encouraging Shy Employees to Speak Up
May 2011: Minimizing the Risk of Employee Sabotage
April 2011: Does online coaching really work?
March 2011: Assessing Emotional Intelligence
November 2010: Healthcare Reform - What you need to know
May 2010: Preparing for an Employment Upsurge
April 2010: Practical HR Applications for Social Media
February 2010: Dealing with Depression in the Workplace
July 2009: Should You Survey Employees’ Thinking Now?
June 2009: Mastering Office Politics
May 2009: Leading in a Tough Economy
April 2009: Financial Woes Spur Some Short-term Hiring
April 2009: Do You Have a Strong Corporate Culture?
February 2009: Good Negotiation Means Good Listening