When faced with rapidly changing conditions in the workplace, it’s easy to forget the simple things that can be done to build your team. And it starts when they walk in the door for the first time.

What is the most important thing a leader can do for a new hire? Transfer the DNA of the company to the new employee. 

The culture, history, and aspirations of the company need to be directly communicated from the founder, president, or CEO to the new member of your staff. People need to hear this information from the source.

Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.

Stephen R. Covey – Author and Businessman

From the moment that a person begins work, they need to know why they are sitting there and how their work will impact the company. 

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

  • Personally thank the employee for joining your organization. Let them know that you will be there for them to support them in their work and career.
  • Explain how the business started. Describe the problem that you were trying to solve that led to the formation of the company. Explain who was involved and how the organization has evolved over time.
  • Describe your vision and values. This is important structural information that will help a new employee frame their perspective of their role in the organization.
  • Where is the company going? Describe the steps that you are taking to ensure the long growth and sustainability of your organization. Define short and long-term business goals.
  • Explain how employees can get involved. Want people to get involved to move the company forward? They need space to do this, and it starts with having an open line of communication with their supervisors, and ideally the head of the company. 

Once a new employee has a sense of what you want to do with the company, they will be in a better position to help you achieve your goals. They may also be more motivated to seek out new opportunities for growth and development. It’s about building and strengthening connections with others.

“The responsibility of a company is to serve the customer. The responsibility of leadership is to serve their people so that their people may better serve the customer. If leaders fail to serve their people first, both customer and company will suffer.”

Simon Sinek – Author, Motivational Speaker, and Marketing Consultant

When people are getting settled into their new routine the work doesn’t stop. You need to keep pushing forward as you build your organization.

As the leader of a company or team:

  • Stay focused on your goals. Keep an eye on what you are doing in the short term and where you want to be going.
  • Be open to new ideas. Be aware of new ideas that emerge from any level within your organization.
  • Be flexible. How quickly can you adapt to your customers’ changing needs?
  • Create a feedback loop. Provide a safe space for people to share ideas about how they are doing and how to contribute to the life of an organization.

It’s easy to overlook how to take care of people as you are working to keep your business afloat. Take care of your people and they will take care of you.

It will be tough when you start building new initiatives because you won’t have the foundation to support your people or your new projects.

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