Are you ready for your new staff?

A while back at a networking event I struck up a conversation with a sales person from another company. He was very friendly and personable.

As he sat down to join me for a cup of coffee he presented his business card. There was a line crossing out the name on the card and his name written in above it. An extension was added by hand next to the phone number and he had written his email address over the one that was professionally printed on the card. He apologized explaining that he had just started a week ago and his cards had not come in yet.

 It made me wonder; his company probably spent tens of thousands of dollars in the recruiting process to find a person who presented himself as intelligent, capable and professional. So why would they send him into the world not fully prepared to do his job and effectively represent his company?

 Anytime a person starts a new job it is in the best interest of both the company and the individual to have everything ready for him or her on day one! Their desk should be set up, all passwords should be generated in advance and they should never, ever have to start a professional conversation with an apology for a re-purposed business card.