Hello...and goodbye

How long does it take for a new employee to become truly productive?

If you’re lucky – really lucky – a new hire will begin making his or her presence felt at about the 30-day mark. By then, the procedural gobbledygook that comes with every new job will have been completed, the preliminary timidity associated with getting to know who’s who (and who does what) will be gone, a few meetings will be safely tucked under the new hire’s belt, and the person you spent days, weeks or months selecting will begin to show whether or not you’ve made the right choice.

If you’re not all that lucky, the time frame could be as much as six months – particularly if the new employee’s resume is littered more with internships and stints at fast food establishments than with positions on a chosen career path. The process of getting a payback is the same, it’s just that each step (after the gobbledygook part) takes longer.

Recognizing the significant expense involved in this unofficial “you’re here, but you’re not really giving us much in the way of ROI” training period, why is it that so many companies have such a hard time keeping relatively new employees from hitting the door so soon after they arrive?

The answer can be found in this business adage: “People join companies, but quit supervisors.” And why are employees so quick to bail on supervisors? Lack of communication.

Study after study has affirmed that money, benefits, a nice cubicle, and all the accoutrements that come with a job are appreciated. But what really turns employees on is when they feel they are “in on things,” and when they believe they are making a meaningful contribution.

As a supervisor, how can you make certain this happens? It isn’t rocket science. Tell them.

• Find a comfortable communications style, and stick with it. Nothing puts subordinates more on edge than inconsistency in their supervisor. As such, it’s important to find a style that fits you – short e-mails, quick voicemail updates, memos, hallway conversations, whatever – and use it for routine communication.
• Keep “what’s it mean to me?” in mind. Cut to the chase when you communicate with employees: Here’s what happened (or what will be happening), here’s why, and here’s what it means to you.
• Focus on short, sweet and frequent. Recognize the fragile psyche of most employees and send them short messages often, rather than long messages infrequently. They’ll gossip less, and it will give you a chance to root out questions and concerns before they become major.

And, if you’re an employee:

• Keep the faucet turned on. Most supervisors will tell you it’s impossible to communicate too much with them. By “managing up” through regular communication, you’ll be giving your boss the information he or she needs to succeed, and making yourself more valuable in the process. One caveat: Don’t communicate just to look busy. Make sure each piece is a true update of activities, or a request for direction.

Now, if you pay well below market, make people work in a hovel, or encourage dressing employees down in public, these tips won’t help. However, if you feel your company has a lot to offer, but you’re finding that no one accepts that offer for very long, focus your improvement plan less on the tangible and more on the personal.