Experience of getting it wrong over many years teaches you that you should always put strong management controls within the first week of a new starter joining you…

The first few weeks set the habit patterns and behaviour of an employee for the rest of their tenure.  A simple example is the morning routine. Does their first fortnights morning routine involve getting in early and cracking on with work priorities, or does it involve coming in on the dot and only getting settled into work after a 20-minute chat in the kitchen or the water fountain? Habits matter. This is true regardless of the role.

Sadly, most owners do the opposite, they expect the best and begin with loose controls. When things aren’t going as well as hoped, they obviously need to get to the bottom of what is going wrong. As a result, they usually need to increase the management controls. More meetings, report cards, statistics, quality checks, more of the quantity of numbers achieved etc etc. Turns out this nearly always causes resentment and problems. The truth is that nobody likes increases in management controls, particularly not people who are new into the firm. The new starter feels undervalued, micromanaged and staff turnover is often the result.

Now the opposite. If you go in with heavy management controls, then it is accepted as the person is new, they want to make a good impression and they understand they haven’t proven themselves yet. Good habits are the natural by-product of the heavy controls. If or when the new member of staff performs then you can loosen off the controls and gift more responsibility and larger objectives. When done this way, the new employee feels successful, validated and that they have proven themselves worthy of trust.

Remember to hit heavy and hard with new people straight off the bat and watch your staff turnover drop and long-term engagement level increase.

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