Recruiters encounter a wide range of business needs when it comes to talent. This can include anything from temp staffing to headhunting professionals to outsourcing specialized technical recruiting, such as with mortgage staffing agencies; and, of course, the all-important onboarding process for each new hire.
The onboarding process for new managers often needs to be even more stringent than that of the average new hire. Read on to learn more.
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5 Things to Know When Onboarding New Managers
The primary reason for attention to management-level onboarding is that managers have a more sensitive role that often involves leading teams, driving performance, and keeping team members motivated. A lapse in onboarding doesn’t just threaten the new manager’s performance or satisfaction; it can also negatively impact the teams that report to the manager.
As a result, a comprehensive onboarding strategy is crucial when any employer’s talent acquisition strategy includes manager-level resources. These five tips can help businesses design the right onboarding process for managers:
Communicate the Management Culture
It is essential for managers to understand the culture of their new workplace, particularly in the context of their role. An efficient way to help them do so is for the HR department to create both text and audio/video material that clarifies important aspects of the employer’s unique work culture. The material can include:
- Business values and approaches to work
- Instructions emulating the required management style
- Messaging that explains business vision and mission.
This first step is one of the most important parts of onboarding a new manager. It offers an opportunity for the new hire to understand workplace norms, the overall culture, and the goals that the business is targeting.
Define Expectations from Managers
One of the biggest reasons behind an unsuccessful onboarding is a lack of clarity when communicating expectations from a new hire. This is a particularly important area to address when onboarding a new manager. During the onboarding process, managers should gain a clear understanding of business expectations on a monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis.
This helps them acquire a deeper understanding of short-term and long-term goals, positioning them to deliver better results. These goals should include a mix of overall business goals, department objectives, and individual targets.
Brief Managers on Company Structure
To increase the chances of onboarding success, newly hired managers must be offered resources that detail the company structure. For example, an organogram can help the new hire familiarize himself or herself with the various departments, department heads, and other key personnel with whom they are likely to interface.
With a clearer understanding of how the business and its workforce are structured, managers will exhibit greater efficiency in their day-to-day tasks.
Introduce the Manager to Each Member of the Team
The human aspect of the workforce deserves as much attention as expectations and goals. Any new employee will have a settling-in period while integrating with other employees. For managers, this process can be sped up with an introduction to the team and employees they will be working most closely with. It is still important for everyone reporting to the new hire to meet one-on-one.
From supervisors, direct subordinates, and individual team members, employees need to know the person they will report to and begin to form a professional relationship with that individual.
Explain How to Enforce Company Policies
Managers have a fairly complex role in any business. They have to manage teams and individual workers, address performance issues, conduct a workplace investigation, take disciplinary action, encourage and empower employees, and drive performance.
Moreover, managers routinely have to deal with absences, team conflicts, new hires, etc. To further add to the complexity, they have to do this strictly within the company policies and rules relevant to each aspect of their role.
To streamline this process, the HR department must offer the manager access to company policies and other information relevant to workforce management. In particular, the manager must have an understanding of how to enforce workplace rules without overstepping their authority.
Similarly, new managers must know exactly how to handle certain business needs. For example, if a business has an understanding with a Colorado staffing agency, the manager should have access to the PoC to address hiring needs as and when they arise. This not only empowers the manager; it ensures adherence to company and workforce policies, limiting the risks of non-compliance.
