5 Tips for monitoring the progress of a new starter

This is the fourth and final article in this month’s series on ‘Efficiencies in Recruitment”. The full series can be found at monarc­hper­sonnel.­com.

There is no let-up in the world of recruitment! The hiring and onboarding of a new recruit is just the starting point for transforming a candidate into a valued member of staff. Once a new employee is onboarded, their progress should be continually monitored for both their benefit and the company’s.

By ‘monitored’ we don’t mean measuring keystrokes, browsing history, start times and other types of surveillance – that’s a completely different article! Here, we’re referring to how employees develop in the role and the wider company, the benchmarks and parameters of success and how the company proactively guides them to do a good job.

It is important that new recruits don’t feel like they’re left to sink or swim, particularly in hybrid or remote working scenarios. They need to feel motivated and know what success looks like. Without monitoring and feedback from the employer they won’t know if they’re doing well or badly.

According to Greg Harris, President and CEO of Quantum Workplace, “Engaging the hearts, minds and hands of talent is the most sustainable source of competitive advantage”. Effective monitoring is key to this approach.

To help you monitor your new staff effectively, in this article we’re sharing tips that we’ve found to be successful for us and our clients over many years.

Respon­sibi­lities and objectives

As part of the onboarding process it is essential that the new employee is clear about their key areas of responsibility and individual objectives and goals. As an employer, you should outline the following areas from day one:

• How their performance will be monitored
• How their performance will be measured
• How often their performance will be reviewed and by whom

There should be no surprises. This is a two-way process in which all parties should be clear and prepared. Without this clarity any performance review will be meaningless.

Skills development

Employees should be encouraged to focus on their skillset and consider ways in which it can be widened and improved, both for their personal development and to enhance their contribution to the company.

Line managers can help employees to improve existing skills and identify areas where new skills can be taught. At Monarch Personnel we encourage our clients to recruit on mindset which is instinctive, whereas skills can be taught. With the right mindset a new employee can apply their enthusiasm to learn new skills that benefit the company.

Continuous performance assessment

This does not mean lengthy appraisals. As long as it is clear to the employee how their progress will be monitored and measured, regular brief review meetings or coaching sessions will identify whether an individual’s performance is meeting the required standard, or if it is improving. This also does away with the anticipation, and potential nerves of approaching a major review.

Constructive feedback

We all love to know we are doing well, but all feedback needs to be constructive and relevant. Managers should always identify areas for improvement. Constructive feedback helps an employee build a healthy relationship with their manager. As a two-way process it gives the employee the confidence to air concerns and listen to management feedback. If we avoid dealing with areas identified for improvement, the employee is not being given the opportunity to learn which could lead to failure in the long-term.

Recognition and reward

When setting objectives and goals, it is important to recognise success. A small token of appreciation goes a long way, and a reward does not always need to be monetary. “The simple act of paying positive attention to people has a great deal to do with productivity.” (Tom Peters, American writer on business management practices.)

However, all rewards must be documented to ensure that when we look to measure success and promote, we use the evidence to help us make the right decisions. For example, such evidence can be crucial to help determine whether a new employee has done well in their probationary period.

Look out for the next article

Our next series will begin on Wednesday December 1st.

In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about Monarch Personnel, you can read our latest articles by signing up for our newsletter. You can also follow us on our social media channels: LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook, or visit our website www.­monarc­hper­sonnel.­com.