On-Boarding From Afar

What a week! Not only did we get an actual date when Auckland borders are opening but THIS GUY got nominated for a wee award! My fiancé is a recruiter too and it reminds me of that Lennon quip when asked about Ringo being the best drummer in the world, I’m not even the best recruiter in my house! It’s probably for the best that the decision is ultimately made by people and not in a voting system as my campaign would be exhaustive to the point of annoyance. In other welcomed news;?we could all be back in the office next month and as soon as December 1st. This is pending the announcement on the 29th mind. I’ve shared my thoughts on lockdown previously but it’ll be nice to have a bit of a change of scene, I’ve almost forgotten what our place looks like. Do you know who definitely has a loose idea of what the office looks like? Those who have never stepped foot in it! It’s true, there have been some consultants that have been on-boarded remotely and some that are still in the process. I was asked by a client last week if there were any tips or tricks, I could offer up, and seeing as the window for remote onboarding is still open, I reached out to my network and they had the following to say.

Communication

Clearly scheduled times seem to be a go-to, something that keeps the new employee tethered to the task. A start-of-the-day scrum or an end-of-the-day debrief both have their merits it’s just good practice in accountability. You need to convey a sense of ‘my door is always open’ with newbies. It’s sort of like a baby monitor but with less crying and defecating, hopefully.

Training Guide

Most agencies will have a ‘bible’ a tick list of things to check off at various stages; how to start a search, qualifying questions, approach to BD. Most clients have called this the ‘easy part’ it’s very much the theory before the practical test.

Day Plan

This is good practice for a newer consultant, someone who is a bit green; I did this in the flesh when I was a fledgling recruiter. From a conditioning perspective, it makes good sense to as even now I’m forever writing lists and checking things off. Most quality recruiters I know tend to plan for the following day at the end of the current, good to install this early doors.

Jumping on a Call

We learn by osmosis as recruiters. Being in the office and hearing your colleague make a call set’s the foundation for how you make your call. Without a doubt, this is the most challenging part of distance learning. Some clients have gone for buddying up consultants and having the newbie watch/listen to the call of senior consultant via Teams. It’s a little like being a corporate cam-girl for the most boring fetish ever but it’s the closest thing we can get to the real thing for the time being.

Candidate Focus.

I think it’s good practice for anyone joining anywhere new, start with the candidates. At the end of the day, that’s where the money is and it’s a good entry point to learning to use the database. Clients have gone for screen sharing when in catch-ups to see if they are entering the correct fields while no doubt keeping an eye out for any saucy tabs open.

Setting Goals

The fact is, a new starter will take some time before they are profitable, and until they are they need metrics to feel they are accomplishing something. Be it a list of candidates to approach, register, or log it’s important they feel a sense of accomplishment that isn’t generating revenue.

Part of The Team

Easily done with Friday Teams and Zoom meetings but going the extra mile is very easy. A simple gesture of a gift basket, a bottle of bubbles, or a takeaway shout is a great ‘atta boy/girl’ and provides reassurance to a worker who hasn’t fully ingratiated with their new tribe yet. The usual branded tools of the trade provide great content for LinkedIn too.

The transition from a cyber relationship to a real-life one is closing in. As any introverted teen with financial woes and devastatingly low self-esteem in MTV’s Catfish will tell you, it’s ok to feel nervous before the big meet. They may not be as tall as you thought but like that true emo love story in 2014, they are real! As long as you have followed the guideline above those shut-in recruiters will be emerging from their chrysalis fully formed recruitment butterflies with a new sense of appreciation for an office, a team, and a culture that they signed up for.

This blog originally featured on the?Rice Consulting Whiteboard