1 Stop HR

by

Top 5 Questions to Think about Before Hiring a Friend or Relative

So you own a company, or have the authority to hire people at the company you work at. Your friend or relative is looking for work. Do you hire them? You want to help them right? They should be a good worker as you know them…right? Hmmm

The decision to hire someone you know could have a lasting impact not only on your relationship with that person, but also the staff and company. I would caution you to think long and hard before extending that offer of employment.

Many people don’t think about the things that could go wrong in this type of situation, they want to help, they think that the friend/relative will work hard and that is really where the thinking stops. Here are some things that I would suggest you think long and hard about before moving forward:

1. What will I do if this person is not pulling their weight or there are performance problems?
2. What happens if I receive a complaint about this person?
3. What happens if this person asks for accommodations that are not normally provided by the company to other employees?
4. What happens if this person is looking for a raise that falls outside of the normal pay range for the position?
5. What happens if I no longer have work for this person?

The answer to all of these questions is: “I will treat them as any other employee under my management”. This absolutely must be your answer and must be the way you manage this situation. Here is the problem….this is not as easy as it sounds. There are feelings, there is a relationship at stake, and there are others in your family or circle of friends that also may weigh in on the situation.
Some people also don’t think about the impact on the other employees or the company. Employees, once they know there is a prior relationship with the new hire, may have differing reactions. They may be uncomfortable forming a good working relationship with this person. They may not feel comfortable coming forward with any concerns with lack of performance or activities that are normally frowned upon. They may feel that there is or will be preferential treatment. Mistrust may breed amongst the staff and eventually impact staff and company performance.

You may think that this article is slanted very much to one side…that hiring relatives or friends is always a bad idea. There are indeed examples where this has worked well, however there are far too many more where it hasn’t.

If you find yourself in this situation or in this dilemma, I strongly urge you to thoroughly think through your decision and have a deep and detailed discussion with the individual if you plan to move forward. Take your time and don’t come to any quick decisions.

www.1stophrconsulting.com    info@1stophrconsulting.com

by

10 Ideas to Welcome your New Employee – the Right Way!

Have a new employee starting and want to make a great impression?  Of course you do!  Those first few days are key to winning over your new employee!

So what can you do?

Take a look at what you do already, what else can you do to enhance your current process?  Have you asked your newer employees what would have made them feel more welcome?  Sometimes you can get some good ideas this way!   Are you stuck?  Review the list below to provide you with some other thoughts.

10 ideas that will help make a great first impression!

  1. Be on the lookout for their arrival!  Have someone ready and available to great your new member of your team and welcome them.
  2. Company swag. Gather up some company swag with a nice welcoming card – have a team member or the manager sign the card.
  3. Plan for the first week and beyond. Provide your new rock star with a day by day plan for the next week or two that includes training to give them a great start!
  4. Company gathering. Gather the team or company together to have some munchies and welcome the new member to the team/company.  Think of something fun to do that would break the ice and create some fun.  There are tons of icebreakers out there to pick from.
  5. Office tour.  Have someone take the individual around the office to familiarize them with where supplies can be found, where they can eat their lunch etc.  Don’t be afraid to introduce them along the way!
  6. Introduction to the phone. During the first few days, take some time to introduce them to the phone system, how to use it, transfer calls, set up and retrieve voicemail etc.
  7. Don’t wait for the business cards – have them set up as of day one. It is a good feeling to see your name on a company business card and really feel part of the team – the bonus is that they can start to hand it out right away which means more visibility to the company!
  8. Computer/work space. Ensure there is a clean work space already set aside with a computer that is ready to go.  It would be helpful to also have someone give a quick demo of how to utilize the internal IT systems and how this infrastructure is set up.
  9. Arm them with access to the building. Ensure after their first day that they have the ability to enter the building without having to wait for others to arrive first.  This can often be a bone of contention!
  10. Provide a heads up to your staff! Let your staff know when the new employee is starting, what they will be doing and to please make them feel welcome.

How creative can you be?

These are just a few suggestions – there are many!  Can you be creative and make a great first impression?  What ideas do you have?  If you want to share, we may feature them in an upcoming blog!  Feel free to send them to:  christie@1stophrconsulting.com

by

What’s your Edge?

If you find that it’s getting more difficult to attract true talent to your open position, you are not alone.  There is a lot of competition in the market for qualified candidates!  So what do you do?  What do you do to attract the right talent and qualified talent to your door?  You need to define what your company edge is.  What is it that would attract someone who may currently be employed in another role to your company instead of staying put?  It must be compelling!  Here are some things to think about:

  1. edgeWhat kinds of benefits do your employees have? Is there anything unique about them?  Are they competitive?  Are they completely paid for by the company?  Do they start as of day one?
  2. What is your working environment like? Is it fun?  Do you have regular team building events?  What “fun” do you have in the office?   Do you have games in the office?
  3. Do you promote learning and development? Do you financially support education?
  4. Are your salaries competitive? Are there bonus?  Is there profit sharing?
  5. What are the working hours like? Do you offer flexible working hours?  Can people work from home?

Really think outside of the box.  You want to look at it from the candidate’s point of view.  What is it that will really compel them to want to leave their current position to work for you?

These types of questions should help get your creative juices flowing.  You want to examine what it is that sets you apart from your competition and capitalize on it!  If you can’t think of anything, this may be part of your problem and you may have some additional work to do within the company.  If so, it doesn’t happen overnight, but being aware of it and moving towards becoming more competitive in the job seekers market will do wonders for your recruiting process!

Interested in what some of the top companies do?  Take a look at “Canada’s Top 100 Employers” by Richard Yerema.  This publication comes out every year .  This book will give you an idea of what other companies are doing to attract and retain their people.

Define your edge, bring in your talent and work hard to keep them – this is mission critical to your bottom line and business success.

Learn More About US

1 STOP HR was founded by Christie Ferguson, CHRP CHRL Christie is a certified Human Resources Professional & Leader with many years of hands on HR expertise.

Contact US

Tel: 226-750-3160
Email: info@1stophrconsulting.com

Recent Posts