Your first employee is onboard – what happens now to make them feel like they are part of the team?
So, you have just taken on our first employee – Congratulations đ.
It’s important that they know when they are making a positive contribution to your business. Likewise, they need to know when and where improvement is needed.
Now is the time to consider things like:
⢠A company uniform, even if itâs just a polo short with the businessâ logo added
⢠Setting time aside for regular âstate of the businessâ meetings. You donât have to share profit & loss details, but letting them know that some new equipment is being looked at, updates on some new or potential clients, etc
⢠Taking your new employee along to your networking functions. This can be a visit to your regular weekly meeting, if youâre a member of BNI, for example. It could also be inviting them to join you for the monthly Chamber of Commerce social âmixerâ event.
Introduce me to your customers
⢠If you have a cafĂŠ and thereâs a new face behind the counter, have a sign in front of your customers that says: âSay HI to the newest member of the CafĂŠ XYZ team â meet Jennifer!â
⢠If youâre in a service business, take the new employee on client visits.
⢠Imagine this â you have been mowing Mrs McGillucuddyâs lawns for the past two years and she peers out of her window and sees a total stranger pushing the lawnmower. How is she going to react?
Get them involved!
Does your business support a local sporting team or charity/NFP
GREAT, if you do and, if not, NOW is the time to think about that â especially the charity/community NFP support.
Why now? Because you have some additional capacity to provide âin kindâ support, whether it be attending an event with your employee or rolling up your sleeves and helping at an event or function. After all, your businessâ potential manpower number has just doubled!
What if they are an outsourced employee?
We’ll cover this in detail in a future article but, for now, the important lesson is – it doesn’t matter!
They are still part of your team, whether they work around the corner, in another suburb, city or state or even overseas.
You can’t take them physically to meet your clients, but you can introduce them via email or a company blog post or newsletter. After all, there’s a good chance that a person other than yourself is now going to answer the business’ phone when it rings – so let your customers know in advance by introducing them to your newest team member.
It’s still YOUR business
You’ve added your first employee to your business, but it is still your business. If you plan to delegate (and you should!) tasks or duties to your new employee, you need to hand them over properly and make sure that systems and processes are properly managed, recorded and explained.
“Clear as mud” is not clear at all.
Beware of the new employee’s desire to impress you and do the right thing – they may well nod their head and say they understand, but make absolutely sure that this is the case.
Familiarise yourself with your obligations as an employer. SafeWork NSW have an excellent introduction on their website regarding employer responsibilities here
Above all else though, work with your new employee as a team member and you’ll be going a long way towards a successful, mutually beneficial relationship.
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