How to Diagnose and Treat Post-Hire Shock

We finish up this series on On-boarding Excellence with a discussion on post-hire shock.  Post-hire shock is one of the biggest reasons new hires leave their new positions.  New hire turnover is costly.  Learning the warning signs and ways to treat it is important.

Enjoy!

Gary

Research shows that 6 in 10 turnovers are a result of post-hire shock.  Post-hire shock occurs when the job or organization is not as the new hire expected.  Many times promises are made during the interview process that are not fulfilled.  It can also happen when the new employee is either given no work or too much work in the first few weeks on the job.

Post-hire shock can be prevented with a great on-boarding program.  A comprehensive program will help orient the new hire to the organization’s culture, their position and their colleagues.  The manager and mentor should be able to monitor for signs of shock. 

What are the signs of post-hire shock?

•   New hires who don’t ask questions.

•   New hires who don’t interact with their colleagues.

•   New hires who make comments to co-workers or their mentor that the position is not what they expected.

•   New hires who appear overwhelmed or disengaged.

There are ways to treat post-hire shock.

•   If a mentor has not already been matched to the new hire, do so immediately.

•   If the new hire has a mentor, have them plan short, daily meetings to discuss expectations, workload and any other issues that arise.

•   Solicit feedback from the employee and mentor, separately.

•   Have resources available to help the new hire learn about the organization, software used or other technical matters.

•   Try some out-of-the-box methods of engagement.

One creative way to engage new employees could include the creation of an employee directory with employee headshots.  Even better is to include a note with each entry such as hobbies, favorite music or book genres.  This helps new team members put faces to names and the notes provide a conversation starter.  This is an especially great tool if the organization has a large virtual workforce.

When “post-hire shock” is diagnosed and treated quickly, turnover may be prevented.  With successful treatment, an organization can learn how to improve their on-boarding process to prevent future episodes of shock.

Gary Vice is sought out by leaders in Software and Services who recognize the need to attract the industry’s best talent.  Through Strategic Recruiting Partners’ extensive network of relationships, they are able to identify high level opportunities for well qualified candidates.  To discover how this process can benefit your job search, simply reply to this email or call Gary at 469.402.4008.