We all like to hit the ground running when we start a job. But new hires often find that the job description doesn’t match the reality. Coaching from day one, however, can quickly bring results
IN ESSENCE what we are talking about here is ensuring that a company’s organisational goals and objectives are quickly distilled to an individual so that the new hire is able to contribute to the wealth of the organisation.
This means that the new hire needs to understand the following:
- What is my job?
- How well do I have to do it?
- How am I doing?
- How have I done?
- How can I do it better?
Individuals who left positions within the first 90 days revealed that they had been left to get on with the job as best they could until an assessment was made at the end of the probationary period. Usually after 90 days.
The first mistake is not coaching the results that are required. Job descriptions provide an indication of what the job requires but too often a failed and frustrated hire will say, “The job was completely different from how it was described at the interview”, and “The boss never explained what exactly he wanted and kept changing his mind.” Job descriptions define the main tasks, reporting structure and sometimes the main results required. They never explain the “How” .
Explain the background to the job and provide a written plan of action
The new hire needs to know:
- The current situation and how has it reached this point.
- What problems need solving or what the immediate learning points to the job are?
Basically, this provides a personal development plan on what actions are expected in the short (90 days) and medium term (180 days). The coach then needs to discuss these with the new hire, thus creating a contract on what constitutes success in the eyes of the boss, the company itself – and the new hire.
There needs to be a clear understanding of how success will be measured and when performance will be measured. An obvious mistake here is to be first measuring performance at the end of those 90 days.
During the first month, progress with the new hire should be discussed at the end of each week and then fortnightly for the following two months
This gives the new hire an opportunity to raise issues and concerns, and the boss an early warning of problems or feelings of insecurity from the new hire.
During these early meetings the new hire needs to be given a clear understanding of the boss’s management style. Many hires surveyed say, “The boss continually asked me for feedback and when I gave it to him he was never happy.”
The type of question that needs answering include:
- When and how often should communication with the boss take place?
- How should communication take place? Meeting, email, phone or report?
- What kind of decisions must be referred to the boss?
- What kind of decisions can be made without the boss?
- How does the boss prefer to make decisions?
Don’t create unnecessary urgency to the job
Employers often tell new hires that they expect them to “hit the ground running”. The effect is to discourage the new hire from expressing a lack of understanding of what needs to be done. Many panic when a problem arises that they believe the boss expects them to solve easily.
It’s worth remembering that the new hire is unlikely to positively affect the bottom line in their first 90 days, whatever their status. Coaching an emphasis on doing the job right – as opposed to doing it quickly – will produce better long-term results.
In order to succeed in a new job a new hire needs information about the company, the people and the culture. Such information provides warnings of early mistakes that can create a negative reputation in the minds of others. The problem with a negative reputation is that it’s difficult to shake off even if people are most forgiving.
Enable the new hire to network effectively
A mistake often made is to encourage new hires to concentrate on their
immediate reports and ignore internal networking with other colleagues – which they later come to regret when help is required.
Internal networking is an essential ingredient. Identifying those with influence, the type of influence they have and setting up opportunities for the individuals to network will save time and is particularly important for the more senior new hire.
Don’t assume that more senior or experienced hires require no coaching
Very often the opposite is true! The more senior the hire the more likely they are to be catalysts of change. Change catalysts need to understand corporate culture and how people may be affected by change.
The coach needs to help the new hire to identify the following questions:
- What is the culture of the business and what aspects are considered important?
- How will the various parts of the business be affected by any change?
- What has been tried before when implementing change?
Senior hires know that they have a short time to prove themselves and thus tend to generate ‘quick wins’ designed to establish their reputation. The problem here is that the wrong quick win can harm a reputation beyond repair.
Conclusion
Success in a new job need not be a lottery. What is needed is a solid plan of action to identify the culture of the organisation, what is expected from the new hire, the support that is available and developing positive relationships with colleagues and influence makers. Those companies that are willing to spend time developing a plan of action to effectively coach a new hire over the first 90 and 180 days will add value to their bottom line.
Further reading
RHR Int Co of Toronto report on ‘Executive Failure in Three Countries’ as reported to the Strategic Leadership Forum in Toronto (March 2002).
- Matt Somers Coaching and performance management Fenman (2004).
- Bradford D Smart Topgrading Prentice Hall Press (1999)
- Sydney Finkelstein Why Smart Executives Fail Penguin (2003)
- Harvard business essentials Hiring and keeping the best people HBS Press (2002)
- Anne Fisher “Don’t blow your new job” Fortune magazine, 22 June 1998
- Stephen Harvard Davis “How to reduce executive failure through induction” People Management 5 May 2005
About the author
Stephen Harvard Davis is an expert on job transition management and the author of Why do 40% of Executives Fail? He is a regular speaker at numerous conferences and business meetings. To discuss this article contact Stephen ›› 01727 838321, stephen@busrelcon.com and www.busrelcon.com