Mar
17
2016
HR top tips: The importance of a strong meaningful welcome
By Lucy Whitehall.
I recently spent time reflecting on what makes a good workplace and more specifically how organisations can make the employee experience the best it can possibly be. This may have traditionally fallen into the preserve of human resources (HR), but more often these days, business owners and managers are accountable for the attraction, recruitment and selection of people: as well as their performance and productivity. Getting the best from people and helping them thrive is something we all increasingly need to get a handle on.
As I have met delegates and started working regularly as a trainer and coach for the Centre, I’ve thought about what matters when it comes to bringing new employees into the fold. Every aspect of the employee journey boils down to how the employer makes the employee feel.
Employee life cycle
This kicks off right at the beginning of the employee life cycle – before they’ve taken a step in the door and maybe even before they’ve seen your advert for a new role.
How do you present your organisation?
What is your reputation?
Do people outside your business know what you do and how you support your clients?
These questions form an important part of the employee value proposition – the bit that encapsulates why someone would choose to work in your business, with you, rather than with a rival.
We also need to think about how we attract the right candidate to the business. What skills do we need? What expertise will add value to the business?
Generate a powerful first impression
Once we've netted that all important candidate and they become an employee, how do we continue to engage them? It all starts with the quality of the welcome. The impression they receive on day one will be the one that shapes their opinion on day 100 and beyond.
Attracting, recruiting and selecting candidates is a skill that can always be sharpened. Sometimes the simplest of things, like a warm genuine smile on the first day of employment can go a long way to ensure sustained employee engagement and a long, happy and fruitful relationship between employer and employee.
Want to further sharpen your HR skills?
We can help! At the Centre we facilitate a variety of people management courses which aim to provide you with the knowledge and tools to ensure you consistently get things right with people and performance.
With 17 years of business development experience, Lucy Whitehall delivers our Human Resources: the basics and Recruitment and selection: finding the right person for the job courses at our London training suite.
However if you have four or more delegates interested in the courses above, in-house training could be the best option for you! Sharpen your HR skills at a time and place to suit you at the most cost effective price.
Lucy Whitehall holds a BSc in Life Sciences and a Masters in HR Management. She is a CIPD member and in 2015 completed her initial training to teach mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR). In 2016 Lucy embarked on a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology.
