Career Development: 7 Things Your New Employee Needs to Know

Have you just hired a new employee? You may not realize it, but he (or she) is probably asking these 7 questions. Does your orientation training include them?

1.) What tasks will I be responsible for? Give your new employee a straightforward job description, complete with a specific assignment immediately. He’ll hit the ground running and be able to know what his responsibilities in the company are.

2.) What are the deadlines & details of my tasks? It seems obvious, but it’s easy to forget. Your new employee needs specific deadlines and details, especially in the first months of working with you. Even if you expect your employee to seamlessly accomplish these things, make it clear that she is expected to do this on their own later and give her a little time to learn.

3.) What steps/procedures do I follow to accomplish my tasks? Any policies and procedures for the tasks to be performed should be given to your new employee, so he can review them before it comes time for each item. He won’t flying by the seat of his pants when it comes time to complete the task.

4.) Who do I ask for the info I need? If you have a list of other employees’ role and responsibilities (or even just job titles), give a copy to your new employee. If you have any information databases where she can get answers to his questions, let her know that as well.

5.) What does the company value, and how does that work into my daily tasks? If your company has a mission statement or core values, share that with your new employee. He will be able to get behind what the company is doing, and what it stands for. This helps him realize that his job relates to the overall purposes of the company, and that often helps employees be internally motivated.

6.) How should I act? Share your policies and expections of the employee immediately. She won’t know how people conduct themselves in your business, whether it’s in his job performance or relationships at work, unless you make it clear at the outset.

7.) How does it work around here? Your company culture plays a large role in whether or not your employee is successful. Do you have a no-blame culture? One of honesty? Communicate this clearly to him and he’ll be able to blend in with your culture much more smoothly.

When you begin your employees’ careers with your company by laying this groundwork, you set them up for success. As a bonus, when these clear expectations are set out at the beginning and reinforced throughout their employment with you, you’re less likely to have an incident with root causes in “Management Systems”!

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