Simple ways to welcome your new employees

I am sure that all of us have full of anticipation and nervous energy one night before the new job commerce. Companies have invested heavily on onboarding programs, but might have missed out on simple aspects that could make a new hire feel welcome

SHARE THEIR PRESENCE

This can be done even before their first day. You could send a company wide email to share about this new person and encourage replies and acknowledge of their presence. You could also bring them around the office to introduce new hires to their new team and colleagues.

COMPANY GIFTS

Your company is your own brand. Little bit of things like a note book, office stationery with your Company logo imprinted on it can make a new hire have a sense of belonging. Your trivial things could also provide more common chattering between the new hire in the current team.

KNOW YOUR VALUES

There’s no better day to share about your company values during their first day. This will help them understand the culture of your company and would also ensure that they are aware of your value, so your incumbent actions would align with the values of the Company.

You could also share your company’s process during this period, and this will allow them to see the big picture and understand how the different departments work.

Resume Red Flags that are of lesser importance

It is always good to bring in good candidates, but as hiring managers, we should also be able to set realistic expectations. There will never be the most ideal candidate to hire, and even if they are – they will most likely be the most expensive to hire.

There are many reasons why we did not shortlist candidates, but the labor market is getting tighter and there are some reasons why we should be more receptive to them

RETRENCHMENT

Retrenchment happens because there is redundancy of headcount, but it need not be linked to ability or work ethics. During recession, it is common that there are over supply of labour and companies must drastically cut cost by reducing their manpower. It does not mean that only the non-performing is let go. To have greater assurance, you could conduct a reference check with the previous employer.

EMPLOYMENT GAPS

It is common to ask questions when one takes on a long break before commencing the next employment. Just because a person took a long time to find a job, does not represent that the interviewee is not qualified. This is especially so when people are redefining priorities in life and are considering travelling plans with them as well.

EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS

The move is now towards a knowledge-based economy and hiring is less emphasis on educational certificates. Skills can be taught, but what is more important is the person’s attitude and willingness to learn. You can still see people in management positions doing well despite not having a graduate from one of the prestigious university.

SHORT EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

It is still good to check with someone who have short employment history and to understand the validity of the reasons of leaving. Some people find it difficult to get a full-time role, so undertake different contracts in different companies. It is always good to ask before you conclude.

Things to do to make your new hire more comfortable

There will come to a point in time when you would realize you need to hire. How should you make your new hire more comfortable in the environment on the first day, or even first week? Research has also shown that employees would be more productive in a comfortable environment.

You might want to follow these tips

Emphasize on the small details

The small details are usually what frustrates new comers so it is advisable that companies would have done the necessary to cover them. Simple details such as how to use the phone lines or how to use the photocopier machine are important.

Through the course of learning, you should also be showing instead of informing them about how to do it because some people might have been more visual. If you had just informed, and if the new hires are still uncertain, likely are – they would feel less inclined to ask you for fear of being judged.

Strong mentorship program

Mentorship programs are always recommended where the new hire is attached to someone who have more experience at the workplace. This experienced worker would be the one who would be sharing with them about how work is performed, and what are the correct procedures to get work done.

You should be choosing and allocating the mentors rather than let the new hires choose themselves and it is usually most effective when it is a two-way process: where both parties can learn from each other during the mentorship process.

During the mentorship process, it is a period when new employees are also allowed to make mistakes. Mentor should always let mentee have a hands-on approach, and to get them to do what they are tasked to do so they are aware if there are any mistakes which stands to be corrected. During this period, the importance of asking questions should also be stressed to new hires and there should never be a question too stupid to be answered.

Include your bosses

This will help you feel like there is an engagement from the higher ups. It is a simple procedure, but it also reflects the important of culture. Get the bosses to send a simple email to the new hire, or even better – get him to engage during the orientation program.

This allows each new employee to feel more connected and engaged during the process.

Go for lunch together

It should be mandatory that on people’s first day – there should be a get together lunch. During lunch, more personal topics should be shared in comparison to the usual corporate topics. Having lunch together, helps to form a bond between the team as well and it is the time when most small talks happen.

This is the time when friendships can start to develop.

Team bonding games

If you have the budget and the time, it is always a good idea to engage your team with a simple team bonding games together with new hires. Team bonding games create similar conversational topic with the new hires as well as the existing colleagues.

However, this should not be conducted too regularly until it disrupts your work.

Engage others

In a team, there should always have a meeting to engage others whenever there is a new hire. For instances, it is possible to go around the table to do a self-introduction to the new hire, as well as for the new hire to introduce himself properly to the team.

In addition, you could also engage existing employees to conduct presentations to other colleagues.

Through the course of learning, you should also be showing instead of informing them about how to do it because some people might have been more visual. If you had just informed, and if the new hires are still uncertain, likely are – they would feel less inclined to ask you for fear of being judged.

How do you appreciate your employees?

We have heard it so many times – that people are the core of the business, and human capital is important but how often do the middle management and top management really show their appreciation to employees?

If you are reading this, and you are one of the management or in the Human Resource team, then maybe it is time for you to initiate! Employee Appreciation Day falls on the 3rd March annually but it is still not too late!

Here are some ways you can show your extra appreciation to your employees!

Provide Welfare

You can do this by providing massage services to employees who badly need to relax – whether is it for your blue collars who are doing your manual work or your white collars who are constantly hunched trying to coordinate your work for you.

Provide Food

You can’t really go wrong with food, as food commonly bonds colleagues and friends! Good food is awesome, but it will be even better when it is fully sponsored by the Company!

During this period, there should also not be any restrictions on lunch break! Lunch break should be if your employees wishes. It is ultimately a form of reward for all the hard work done.

You can also provide new coffee machines in the pantry, as an extra surprise to your employees! This give them the extra perk to perform better in their work anyway!

Hand written notes

This do not have to be presentable, and expensive cards to show your appreciation. Simple one or two sentences to show your appreciation will do. You can be surprised of what a few words can do!

Reorganize your office

If you have the luxury of time, you can request for your employees to give the walls a different shade of colour, and understand the request of a reorganization of office furniture.

You can even provide them a small budget to redecorate their office spaces, to feel energized!

Purchase a new computer!

This applies if you have huge budget or when your computer is old. Imagine your employee’s delight if you’re able to give them something new to allow them to be more productive at work!

You can also introduce systems to help encourage productivity and efficiency as well – to make work more meaningful and less administrative.

Be Interested

Employees would really feel appreciated if you are interested in their personal lives, apart from how they are like in the company. If bosses show interest in their families, instead of how much work have they performed – this would also reflect as an appreciation of employees.

This would be even better if you allow your employees a more flexible schedule if they are able to perform in their work. It would be one thing to share that you want them to have a work-life balance, and another if you really make it one of the priorities that has been stressed by the management.

How to Identify Resume Fraud

Looking for employment opportunities could be a very lengthy and frustrating process. You were so close to being offered the role, but someone with more experience comes along the takes the job. You are always the second in line to the person companies would like to offer.

This increases resume fraud – and it is best to identify doing a reference check and a verification with selected education institutions to ensure that the education they have provided are true and accurate.

In addition, you could look out for the following pointers:

VAGUE DESCRIPTION FOR SKILLS

It will be advised to have a quick phone chat or conduct a face to face interviews, probing into skills that they have mentioned to be of very vague in nature. If someone has shared that they are familiar with a skill, they should be able to answer you reasonably well when asked in detail.

Alternatively, you could also require candidates to come in for a one-day trial to understand if they really have the skill that is required, or you could offer them on a temporary basis, convertible to a permanent if they have shown to be a good fit with the Company.

QUESTIONABLE EMPLOYMENT DATES

Resumes who only have indicated the years are usually a big red flag to try to prolong their period of employment or, they could have hope that it could hide periods of unemployment. It will be good if you check with Candidates the months of the employment and to be truthful when sharing their period. Alternatively, there is always the presence of reference checks

OBSERVE BODY LANGUAGE

Imagine conducting an interview where the candidate is avoiding eye contact or appear to have memorized scripts prior to the interview. This are all signs of dishonestly, but it is also important to distinguish on whether this nervousness or dishonesty is.

Job Hunting Strategies

 

Job hunting – applying for job opening one after another yet did not get any responses. What could have happen back-end? Job openings are being snagged by internal referred candidates? Are you not going for the right jobs with your skills?

It is never about hoping to get calls for interviews anymore. It doesn’t just work by waiting… Job hunters got to make sure that you use various methods to stand out from the crowd.

Fret not, make sure you stand tall above the job-seeking crowd, and below are some ways that can help you in achieving a quicker success rate during your job hunting process.

Aim for the Right Jobs

Your current position and experiences should better somewhere relevant in the job market. Do your own researches before you start applying for jobs - Match your skills, interests and job exposures to the right career choice and the companies’ requirements. There are many factors that you can look at, for example, your experiences have equipped you with the right skills to move up the next level in your career path. You have intended to look for a higher job title or salary, you should not send out your resume aimlessly, even when you see that the salary does not match you.

Create a searchable social media profile

In our era of technology, recruiters rely a lot on social media and technology platforms to source and look out for potential candidates. Of course, this does not deter recruiters from forgetting about human touch. LinkedIn is one of the platforms that recruiters are engaging with candidates these days. Unless you are not expecting any contacts to get in touch with you, please always keep your job portal profiles visible for all. You will never know what good deals or great opportunities might come your way.

Expand your network

Just by applying on job portals is not sufficient in the market nowadays. Expand your network and get your words around your trusted friends and colleagues that you are on a lookout. They can be the ones who might even recommend greater jobs to you.

Be proactive

It is no longer in the era that the longer you wait; the better ones will come your way. You have to fight for what you want. You have to send reminder emails or even a second email so that the employers will be able to take notice of your email. While you are assertive and proactive in getting in contact with the recruiters or employers, this increases your chance and also says something about you, and your eagerness in getting into the job.

Leave your job gracefully and responsibly

There are many reasons why a person leaves the job. There could be reason that you have a better offer from competitors, you have grown to dislike the current environment or perhaps, you feel that you’re ready for the next role… Whichever your reasons of leaving may be, always remember not to burn bridges.

The first thing is to bring across your resignation to your boss. You must react and break the news to your employer in a professional way. It is imperative to leave your job on a high note, and should not impact your future career negatively.

Don’t slack off during your notice period

You want to give your best till your last day at work. Use that notice period, limited days left, to complete the projects you have on hand. Never tell yourself that your days at work is numbered and you should just leave your work alone. Your uncompleted tasks would mean that you might jeopardized a good referee to your future employers, and tarnish your reputation.

Assist in transition

Plan through a proper transition to your replacement. It is important that you hand over your tasks or duties properly. Even if you do not have a replacement reaching your last few days of your employment, you should prepare a detailed handover list or instructions for the transition. You do not want to leave the job and your successor goes around putting comments that you did not provide the details. It would be good to create a daily work tasks and sit down with your managers on the delegation of the uncompleted tasks so you can hand over before your last day.

Don’t burn bridges

Do not leave the job looking too excited. You might make people envious thinking that they are in a very bad environment now.

Resist badmouthing your current environment or colleagues to anyone and no matter how bad it could be, you might just want to leave the job quietly. You never know if you never return or work with the same company again.

BE prepared for exit interview

As much as you have grievances in why some people leave a job, remember that you should keep exit interview professional. You know information are never exactly confidential, as much you the exit interview is conducted with HR personnel and not your direct superior. However, if there are information that can help the company improve areas that they are lacking of, it would be helpful for them.

Overworked?

The truth is, we all are. The never-ending emails which require some form of actions on our end, and the amount of time each effort requires makes us constantly drained at work. Sometimes, the stress could be reduced by asking colleagues for assistance, but you feel it will be a move that is constantly frowned upon by others.

The fact is people are willing to help – but this comes as a disclaimer that only if you show you have put in adequate effort into your work. You must think about these few pointers before proceeding with simple delegation.

WHICH TASK TO ASSIGN

You might want to assign tasks that are very simple but administrative. This times up a lot of your personal time at work. These tasks are best as they do not require complicated instructions or constant supervision. You would not want to assign tasks that your other colleagues constantly ask you questions because they are unsure of the instructions.

COMMUNCIATE WHAT YOU NEED

If you have already decided to ask a colleague, you must communicate what you need very clearly. If you have not communicated clearly enough, it might result in duplicate work. If someone has decided to help you, you can do away with less formalities by “Would you be able to help me”. These choices of words might seem like an option to the one receiving the instructions.

BE RECEPTIVE

You might only want a colleague to help you, but if they have shared that they too lack the time to assist you or they shared they might not be the best person to help you but recommend someone else – you might want to give it a go with that someone as well.