Optimizing Chances of Success

What can you do to keep the great people you have hired? Just because they are performing well doesn't necessarily mean they are enjoying the environment, the company, or the culture. Here are some tips to optimize the chances of success at having a long-term employee in your organization:

• Make sure you and your new employee agree on clear standards of measurement for their performance. Set clear goals and objectives to accomplish within the first 6 to 12 months. Have this conversation within the first 2 weeks of your new employee's start date.

• Ensure your new employee has adequate learning time to become acclimated with the job, the department, the people, and the company. If you expect the person to fully "hit the ground running" you may be expecting the impossible.

• Allow your new employee to meet and get to know the key people who will rely on this person to perform up to the defined expectations.

• Provide the new employee the opportunity to fully understand the goals, mission and values of the company or department.

• Provide regular and honest feedback in a manner that is comfortable and effective for the new employee. If you have some performance issue to discuss with the new employee, hold that discussion as soon as possible to allow for change. Provide as much positive and reinforcing feedback as possible and as often as possible.

How much time do you devote to making a decision that is going to cost your organization $100,000? Why don't you devote the same time and careful attention to hiring? Well, now you have some tools that will help you with these decisions that have great impact on the future of your organization.