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ONBOARDING NEW TEAM MEMBERS Early investment supports business success! Christine Ireland, Haircare Group Head of People and Culture talks through the importance of recruitment and induction must-do’s when preparing for a new starters.
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hether you own your salon, are a salon manager or have leadership aspirations for your career, we all play a role in supporting our new team members to achieve positive outcomes for our business, team and clients. As we all know, recruiting a new team member is a long-term proposition, where they become part of our work-family and an extension of our business brand. It is easy to get caught up in rushing recruitment efforts due to business pressures, however getting the right person with the right skills and values, allows our new team member to positively add to our brand, team, culture and client experience. With the international borders shut, tight labour markets and the hidden costs of recruitment often exceeding $10,000 per role, getting recruitment and induction correct, is so important. Once a good recruitment decision is made, our focus must turn from enticing the applicant to retaining them. This is where our induction begins… and it all starts with planning. At Haircare Group our Values and Culture is one of the first things we share with our new team members. Our Values drive our induction program and behaviour, embedding new people into our team with
authenticity and optimism. Our program concentrates on understanding each other, the business, our customers, company history, future direction, why their role is so important and how they can get involved to add value. In 2019, as a family business, we reviewed our Values and Purpose and made sure we documented them. The family discussed the importance of the Values and Purpose with our leaders and then with our teams, while gaining their input. When new people start with us, it is essential they understand our Values, so they become aligned with the team at speed. To bolster your induction program, think about providing your new team member with a welcome pack before they start. They will be excited about joining your team and sharing your business purpose, key expectations of the role, values, payroll and benefits information, will keep them engaged. We all know our people are one of our biggest assets… creating a great team member experience will ultimately benefit our clients and our brand. On the first day confirm their understanding of the welcome pack and make sure your team are ready to welcome them with full introductions. Explain, how all the different roles work together and how you all support each other. Be ready to share key ways of
working, client experience expectations, product knowledge, policies, computer systems and how to find information if everyone is busy. Creating an ‘online community’ can be a great way for your new starter to access important information (such as team updates, rosters, policies, procedures and forms) supporting them to be self-sufficient and keep connected. This planning will set up everyone up for success. In the first and subsequent weeks, keep building on their knowledge and training. Create regular time to check-in and ask your team member: how they are settling in; what they feel confident with; where they need further support; and what other questions they have. Be ready to give feedback to your team member on what they are doing well and one or two things to concentrate on to build their effectiveness. I strongly believe we have a responsibility to support our people including inductions, growing skills, capability and confidence. As an inspirational leader, this is your opportunity to help people make and build their careers! Let’s continue to collectively shine by positively investing and onboarding people, keeping our dynamic and passionate industry spirit alive.
