Effective leadership and management are key to the climate and creation of high performing teams, and this effective leadership is arguably most vital in the hiring and on-boarding of new employees. In businesses where effective management is present, the onboarding process can bring a new hire up to speed within the company 50% faster than those where effective on-boarding is not in place.
It is vital that leaders understand the challenges faced by new employees, namely a new role, team, business and climate. Leaders who fail to appreciate and assist with the challenges faced by new hires will see an increased turnover, with 57% of employees claiming that leaders fail to help them build relationships in their new role and 65% feeling that they struggle to engage with and understand the company culture.
Strong leaders should help new hires by:
- Making them feel a part of the team: By investing a small amount of time getting new hires acquainted with their peers and leaders and welcoming them as part of the team, leaders will see benefits in the long term as retention and productivity increases.
- Providing direction and goals: Each employee should be aware of what they need to do, how they should do it and why they should feel motivated to complete the tasks handed to them. No where is this more vital to explain than during the on-boarding process, enabling team members to work cohesively together with shared goals from the outset.
- Helping them to develop early on: In building their confidence early on, by allowing them to achieve goals, they will quickly become a credible part of the team and gain the respect of those around them. They will also develop a sense of pride for themselves and the company and come to identify with it as an establishment that has offered them opportunities for progression and development.
How can PCS help with the retention of employees?
With effective leaders being an essential part of the on-boarding and retention of employees, it is vital that they are provided with accurate feedback and data which demonstrates how their team is currently feeling and performing.
PCS is built on 30 years of research into high performing teams and is founded on the knowledge that a leader’s management style and behaviour has a significant impact on employee engagement and effectiveness, but also on the wellbeing of a team and its climate – all of which impact the retention of employees.
The PCS tool is used to help measure and improve team performance, assessing the effectiveness of leaders. The tool is different from standard satisfaction surveys, using anonymous data collected over time, targeting both team and leader development and providing an objective and accurate picture of the inner workings of a team.
PCS highlights any gaps or misalignments between a leader and their team and helps to address these issues to improve performance. The findings of the PCS report provide a leader with an action plan, allowing them target areas of greatest need. Used well, the tool will allow leaders to draw on learnings from current employees and implement these to create a smooth on-boarding process for new hires.
Analysing your leaders and their teams should be an ongoing part of the day-to-day activity within your business; creating an open dialogue between leaders and their teams.
If you feel that your leaders and their teams could benefit from using the PCS tool, get in touch. Email info@performancelimatesystem.com or call 01395 262231