Page 6 • Dairy Star - Third Section • Saturday, March 26, 2016
PDPW BUSINESS CONFERENCE COVERAGE
Broussard shares how to handle employees in rst 30 days
Evaluating a new hire
By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. – When employees are needed in a company, it is best to gure out within the rst 30 days whether to keep them hired or have them red, said Trevina Broussard, association trainer with Humetrics and Peggy Morrow and Associates in Texas. “You’re making an investment when you hire somebody. The purpose of the rst 30 days is a system that will validate that what you see is what you get because at the end of the day, once you hire them, you’re stuck with them,” Broussard said. Broussard presented “The Five Firsts: A Fail-Proof Solution for New Hires” on March 17 during the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Business Conference at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis. Within the rst 30 days, Broussard said there are ve “rsts” when an employer should check in on a new hire: the rst hour, the end of the rst day, the end of the rst week, after the rst paycheck and at the end of the rst 30 days. The rst “rst” is the rst hour of the job, which Broussard said is the most important time an employer will sit down with a new hire. This time should be a oneon-one meeting. “Building a rapport in the rst hour will allow you to know what this person is made of,” Broussard said. Before the meeting, select a date that does not coincide with normal working hours. “Have them come in when you can spend 45 minutes with them undivided,”
Broussard said. “This lets them know they’re important and they’ll feel validated. With validation comes the best return on your investment.” Broussard said the goal of the meeting is to leave a positive impression. “At the end of the day, this person is a cornerstone of your work, especially if you don’t have many employees,” she said. During the meeting, make the employee feel chosen. Also, let them know how important their job is and how that ts into the big picture. “No job is too Trevina Broussard Association trainer small … let them know how their job affects everything. Their job is important,” Broussard said. Also, reinforce their decision to join the company. Before the meeting, be ready for the new employee. For example, have paperwork ready. “It’s showing them through your actions that you’re prepared for them and you’re happy they’re here,” Broussard said. Also, review their resume and look for connection points. “It will break the ice,” Broussard said. Assign a mentor or a buddy for them to go through on a regular basis. This person will answer the new hire’s questions and help that person t in with the culture of the company. “This is something we overlook because people come in with a set of technical skills … but having a buddy makes people more comfortable,” Broussard said. Also during the meeting, make the new employee feel comfortable, while also
sharing information and setting the stage to what is expected of them. Determine what motivates them and the reasons they took the job. “It will be what continues to motivate them in the future. A lot of times it’s not money,” Broussard said. The second “rst” is the end of the rst day. At this time, check in with the new employee to see how they are feeling about their job. “This lets them know you’re holding them accountable for their work,” Broussard said. During this check-in, reinforce the positives and what they are doing right while defusing the negatives and what they need to work on. Also, check in with their buddy at this time. Broussard suggested a few end-ofthe-day questions: Did you have the tools, information and training you needed to feel comfortable today? Do you have any questions or concerns? How would you rate your day on a scale of one to 10? Why? What did we do right and what could we have done better? What was the most frustrating, boring or confusing thing about today? “Asking these questions now allows you to understand the person instead of six months down the road when you hear through the grapevine that things aren’t working out. Six months later is too late,” Broussard said. The third “rst” is the end of the rst week. “You might say I don’t have time to check up on this employee, but you don’t have time not to. It’s an investment in training and resources,” Broussard said. At this time, Broussard said to assess their rst-week experience and solicit feedback. “If they have suggestions, get it now,” she said. “And if you think this person is a
st
star performer ask if they know anybody else. Birds of a feather ock together.” But getting information about this person early is important, Broussard said. “The most expensive person you hire is the one you have to re because you invest all this. Hopefully you can learn in the rst 30 days,” she said. The fourth “rst” is after the rst paycheck. “It’s a wonderful time to reinforce that they’ve done a great job,” Broussard said. “The paycheck is the way to say thank you.” If the employees performance is dwindling, talk to them about it right away. Try to help them nd solutions if they are struggling, Broussard said. “An unhappy, unproductive employee is detrimental to everything so it’s important to get rid of them if you need to,” Broussard said. The fth “rst” is the end of the rst 30 days. “At this point you know exactly what you’re getting,” Broussard said. This is the time to answer these questions: does this person live by the company values? Has this person shown initiative, an ability to work without supervision? Have you experienced any problems with this person? Has everything been done to help this person succeed? All these questions will help answer the nal question: Should we continue to invest in this person or should they be red? “If you hire the wrong people, all the fancy management techniques in the world won’t bail you out,” Broussard said. “Sometimes you think if you get a warm body you can train them, you can coach them and they’ll get the job done … but at the end of the day it’s just a drain on resources.”
Page 24 • Dairy Star - Third Section • Saturday, March 26, 2016
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