Executive Housekeeping Today - March 2008 - (Page 8)

Frugal (continued from previous page) hire will jump to conclusions of their own, which may be wrong, and we will not be able to retain them. In part, the reason that people fail is because they do not know or understand the culture of the organization that just hired them. In the article The Seven Reasons New Employees Fail, Human Resources states that managers “ didn’t explicate the company and how their particular role suits into the bigger picture.” During this day and age—where managers are stretched to the limit, many are wearing multiple hats in an organization, and where time and dollars are limited resources—we need to take every opportunity to increase the probability that employees are successful. What are some steps that can be taken to ensure that new hires are successful? • Learn the culture of the organization yourself: Take time to reflect on and to learn the foibles of the organization’s culture. Sure, there are rules and roles and many written protocols; however, dig deeper. What values drive the organization? What is the verbalized culture versus the unspoken culture? For instance, an organization may state that it is tolerant when developing an employee, that mistakes will happen, and that is alright. However, your experience with the organization may run counter to that statement of culture. If that is the case, it would be better to hire a person that has the skills and abilities and will be less mistake-prone. An organization may state that it believes it takes time to develop employees; however, you may learn that there is a low tolerance for allowing people to “get up to speed,” so you may prefer to hire an employee that is highly competent and requires minimal training. • Communicate the big pic- ture of the organization: Peter Cairo states that managers should “spell out important points about business goals and company dynamics: Have a thorough discussion with your new hire about business goals and corporate culture Knowledge and culture differ from department to department. It is better to address these issues up front than to assume your new hire will ask about them or pick them up through trial and error (which can be dangerous).” It is far better for us to provide the “right” picture than the possible cloudy one that the new employee may gain as he or she goes out to work in their new department. The process of communicating the big picture is often called induction, and can help the employee see where he or she fits into the organization and the culture. • Keep your new hire safe: In an article titled Nurturing Your New Hire: Thirteen Must-dos for Employee Success, the unnamed author states, “Keep your new hire safe: You know the pitfalls of your operation. Help him to avoid obstacles in his or her path, sharp objects, and relationships and places that he or she will fall down.” The author is writing about the challenges that new employees face. For instance, an employee may be hired into an organization that uses consensus building as a model of decision making. That employee may have come from an organization that was more of a “telling” organization than an “asking” organization. Unless this is clearly explained, the new employee could experience some severe problems. Some organizations are very hierarchical; one must go through one manager before going to the next level. New employees need to know these issues and to be kept safe during the process. Some organizations operate “by the book”—for everything there is a protocol or directive. However, some organizations have either thrown out the book or have never found the book and operate in a very informal manner. If a person is one that “operates by the book” he or she will be very challenged by the vacuum that may be presented by minimal protocols and less formality. • Help the new employee to network with peers and persons who will increase their probability of success: Peter Cairo states, “Help nurture her network: Nobody works in a vacuum and offer specific suggestions for building solid relations with these key people.” Point out the movers and shakers in the organization and assist the new employee to network with these persons; especially those that best articulate in word and walk the culture and value of the organization. • Assign a mentor who is knowledgeable of the culture and values of the organization: Many organizations, after the initial orientation of an employee, send the employee out to work. Assign a person who is very conversant about the culture and foibles of the organization to be a mentor or guide for the person. The mentor needs to be supportive of the organizational culture and the manager. The mentor and employee should sit down to review how things are going and to help clarify issues. This mentor can be invaluable in assisting in the success of a new employee. • Implement a strong orientation program: Companies should have a strong and ongoing orientation program. Cairo states that, “Most companies recognize the fact that people need help managing the transition period, but they don’t give it a commensurate level of attention.” A strong orientation program should explain the overall values and beliefs of 8 Executive Housekeeping Today/March 2008

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Executive Housekeeping Today - March 2008 Contents Executive Corner Mold Issues: Restoration and Prevention Mold Removal with Steam Vapor: Study Validates New Technology Frugal Housekeeper Executive Housekeeping Today Virtual Magazine is a Big Hit with Readers! Executive Profile The Green Scene 2008 Convention Information Inside the Industry Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside I.E.H.A. What I.E.H.A. Has Done For Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - March 2008

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