Think back to your first day at your job.

Did fellow staff members greet you with cake and cookies?

Or did you arrive on time, and then wait an hour to see your manager? Did he give you some forms to fill out, show you to your desk and say he had a meeting to run to?

Believe it or not, the latter scenario, or versions of
it, aren’t that uncommon, says workplace consultant David Dial.

And while an office doesn’t necessarily have to throw a welcoming party, the first day on the job should at the very least be an organized, purposeful introduction to the company, he says. “It says you are important to us and we will invest the time in you.”

Earlier this month Dial, the founder of Dial Solutions Group, held a workshop at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. Its focus was to help managers and business owners understand the importance and methods to develop strong people practices. These are the practices that encourage employees to be loyal productive workers who feel connected to the company goals.

“There are two types of people you can create inside an organization,” Dial says. “You can have what I call apostles, people who work hard for you, align their goals with your goals and help the company move forward.

Mike Dempster photo, Business Ege
David Dial has some suggestions for companies that have trouble integrating new employees into their work forces.

“Or you can have terrorists. They are the whiners. They cause problems and carry an attitude of entitlement. They are the ones who tend to slow things down.”

Some simple tools, and a commitment to a process that supports employee growth, can develop a loyal and fulfilled workforce, Dial says. The financial cost is minimal; so, too, is the time commitment for a manager.

For example, consider the orientation of a new employee. A manager need only spend one hour a week with a new recruit, as long as that employee is buddied up with a peer/mentor, Dial says.

The orientation is a period where the individual is brought into the company culture. During that time, goals are defined where the manager and the employee states his/her expectations. Ways are discussed to achieve goals and how to define and measure success. And consequences are set for success and failure.

“Right from the beginning, agreements should be signed,” Dial says.

As the employee moves through the 90-day probationary period, the manager needs to spend one hour of focused time each week with the employee. The weekly meeting allows the manager to assess, and support, the employee’s development. It’s much more effective than waiting until the probationary period ends and then sitting down with the employee, Dial says.

Unfortunately, too often a manager hasn’t properly assessed a new employee and then the crunch comes and he must decide to keep the employee or let him/her go.

“A lot of managers are afraid to make that decision,” Dial says. “If you have a feeling inside that this person is not going to work out, it’s better to let them go . . . but a lot of times, managers will say they’ll just work with the person. Usually it only gets worse.”

Typically, when Dial consults with companies that are in trouble, he hears comments such as: “There’s always a struggle for people to reach the minimum goals we set,” or: “People work by their own agendas compared to what we want.”

On the flipside, employees say they do their job, but don’t know if they make a difference. Or they say they are micro-managed; they see a better way to do their job, but nobody listens.

“There’s a real disconnect,” Dial says. “There’s no clear line of sight . . . no alignment.”

Dial is a third-generation Calgarian and a lifelong entrepreneur. He performed magic shows as a youngster and ran a mobile DJ service starting in junior high school. During the past 12 years he’s worked as a recruiter, placing people in jobs primarily across Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. In 1996, he formed Dial Solutions and then turned his attention to people practices two years ago because he saw a need for the service.

He recalls placing a client in a senior position with a
company, and three years later the individual hadn’t had a performance review.

“I think that’s a big problem,” Dial says. “These are simple things (performance reviews) that can be done, but they aren’t. So people lose their focus, lose their direction.”

It’s why he believes that simple processes, ones that managers commit to, are critical to success.

To explain, Dial shows how regular reviews work to a manager and an employee’s benefit:
* Establish regular intervals to set goals perhaps over three months or six months, he says. There, the manager and employee agree on the outcomes expected, the consequences, and sign an agreement.
* When the next review arrives, it isn’t subjective. The review becomes a check on the goals that were established and if they were accomplished.

“Depending on the outcome, you ask how can you keep doing things to maintain success, or what needs to be done to overcome failures.

“And as time goes on you will find that employees drive the process more and more. The manager becomes more of a facilitator of how to help people reach goals.”

Dial explains that because we are all human, we tend to let things slide. As we get busy, we set aside practices that are valuable. That’s why it’s crucial for businesses to establish processes and adhere to them.

It all begins Day 1, when the employee walks in the door.

Dial suggests that the employee receive a proper welcome, is paired with a peer/mentor and given a job to do. The employee is immediately engaged, he says, and feels part of the team.

As for throwing a little welcoming party?

Well, it’s icing on the cake.

Web watch:
www.dialstaffing.com

(Mike Dempster can be reached at miked@businessedge.ca)