| "throwing them in the deep end" might sound | | | | detected early enough to take action. This will |
| challenging for a new employee, it can be a | | | | relieve them of a great deal of anxiety and allow |
| careless way to treat your new investment. We | | | | them to perform. It is also important to view the |
| recently heard of a new employee calling his wife | | | | actions and achievements as something actually |
| at lunchtime on his first day in the new job to say | | | | demonstrated, not just something that you think |
| he was coming home. The treatment, or lack of | | | | the person could do. For example, by the end of |
| it, he received told him he had made the wrong | | | | the third month this employee should have |
| choice. When recruiting it is important to note that | | | | successfully completed the monthly report |
| appointing a successful candidate is not the end of | | | | without supervision. Not that you or they think |
| the process: we must now determine that this | | | | they could, but rather that they did do it. If the |
| person will make the required contribution to your | | | | expectations of success are written before the |
| business. Once the successful candidate has been | | | | recruitment exercise begins then they act as an |
| appointed it is easy to sit back and relax. But the | | | | extra check that you covered all the "must |
| job is not done yet. We need to set some goals - | | | | haves" during the planning stage. It is no good |
| for the benefit of the organization and the | | | | expecting someone to have written a plan in their |
| employee. Starting a new job can be quite | | | | first month on the job if previous planning |
| stressful - what do I do first, what do they | | | | experience was not on your list of key pieces of |
| expect? This is why setting "expectations of | | | | evidence to collect. Most managers and new |
| success" for the early stages is a very useful | | | | employees are broadly aware of the existence of |
| technique. It keeps the initial stage of employment | | | | "probationary periods" in the early months of an |
| right on track. Choosing a period which is | | | | employment relationship. Having clear expectations |
| appropriate for the job is the first step. This may | | | | of success for this period makes it a very easy |
| be only a week or so for a routine position or | | | | decision for both parties to determine if the |
| three months for a managerial job. Lining it up | | | | probationary period has been successful or not. If |
| with at least the probationary period is a good | | | | you have set the expectations of success well, |
| move. While the key requirements of the job - | | | | and the employee has achieved or surpassed |
| what has to be done and the appropriate | | | | them - fantastic: a good recruitment exercise and |
| behaviours, have been addressed before | | | | you can confirm the employee. If the employee |
| recruitment we now need to consider what needs | | | | has not achieved them, and was given the |
| to be achieved or demonstrated by the new | | | | opportunity to achieve them, then the chances |
| employee by certain times for us to consider the | | | | are this is not a successful "fit" and you may |
| exercise to be a success. Imagine you are going | | | | choose not to confirm the appointment. Our |
| to convince your manager, or the Board, that you | | | | experience is that, in most cases, managers who |
| recruited successfully - what must the new | | | | procrastinate in the face of such clear evidence, |
| employee have done over, say, the first three | | | | and extend the probationary period or appoint |
| months. There may be items such as; met and | | | | someone in the hope that "they'll turn around", |
| held discussions with key staff; met key | | | | usually regret this decision and are faced with a |
| customers and understands their needs; prepared | | | | much more difficult and ongoing performance |
| a sales plan; made the first sale; prepared the | | | | management or even dismissal proceedings in |
| first monthly report under supervision. These | | | | several months' time. Of course, delivering against |
| goals should be laid out in a progressive way so | | | | the goals in expectations of success will be in |
| that the individual can see what he or she must | | | | addition to going through a comprehensive |
| learn and carry out during the early days and | | | | induction process which is also a key element of |
| weeks. Progressively, these should lead on to | | | | successful recruiting. |
| doing the whole job so that any shortfall will be | | | | |