There are no bad hires, only bad onboarding

By spending more time and money to ensure the best possible recruitment, HR and managers are focused on providing the best possible candidate experience for applicants. This investment in the employee often falls apart as soon as the recruitment process is complete.
One manager said to me last month: « I’m not a recruiter, HR helps me with the interview, but it’s up to me to say whether the candidate is the right one or not. I’m so afraid of making a mistake.  »
That’s why many managers clapped their hands when a unicorn called Karat announced that its machine could conduct so-called first-round interviews using artificial intelligence.
While the use of AI for recruitment is not too problematic in the US, Europe is still legally more reserved about its use in HR processes.
So how do you go about it?

Is the job interview really the cause of all evil?

With AI, the manager would be delegating to a machine one of his primary obligations – to shape his/her team – for fear of making a mistake.

Let’s put things back in place! After a careful study of the resumes received, HR or the manager interviews a selection of applicants, of which he or she generally retains only a trio; this trio is interviewed a second time and the choice is made for one person. Let’s face it, the exercise is always somewhat complex. Indeed, it is necessary to ask the right questions, to identify behaviours and above all to do it in such a way as to be able to compare the candidates.

In Europe, most legislation allows for a trial period, and companies apply it to give themselves time to evaluate the new employee. The fear of getting the wrong person seems to be exaggerated as the trial period acts as a safety net for the perilous exercise. Indeed, it is possible to part ways without much difficulty or risk at the end of the trial period.

The trial period: a precious time often wasted

The same manager who told me his fear last month, remarked that « no one is as good as they are in the first six months, so it’s only after that that I have to deal with the newcomers; once they’ve settled in. Translation: « I deal with them when I understand that they are becoming less good!
Today, companies tend to focus their efforts mainly on the recruitment process, neglecting the crucial phase that follows it: onboarding.
The trial period is a period of observation which must be prepared and must follow a rhythmic process. Laissez-faire during the trial period usually leads to other work processes than those established in the organisation. And the military saying assures it: if you see something below standard and do nothing, then you’ve set a new standard.
In order to keep the standard high and allow all employees to work according to ‘certified’ processes, the new employee will have to be properly on-boarded. If the employee is not on-boarded correctly and according to a pre-established process, there is a risk that he or she will not meet the employer’s expectations and will be frustrated. In this extreme case, the employing manager will have to initiate a separation procedure and it is certainly from this failure that the fear arises.

Onboarding: much more than a welcome card and a post on LinkedIn

Onboarding the newcomer is prepared before the recruitment process. It is as much about the personal welcome within the organisation (and the first day remains crucial!) as it is about following up on learning the processes or terminology used in the organisation or the sector of activity.
The integration of the new employee requires several evaluation interviews to find out where the person is and what recommendations to make in view of his or her development.
Last but not least, the onboarding process should not be something that is discovered as you go along but should be communicated to the newcomer before he or she arrives so that he or she can prepare for it and get the most out of it.

According to a European study, more than 65% of companies have not formalised an onboarding process for new employees, a figure that is still too high given the direct consequences of a failed recruitment, particularly on the employer brand but also on the reputation of the manager responsible.

If you too would like to know more about onboarding processes and their implementation in your organisation, feel free to contact Copper Oak.