3 Quick Tips for On-boarding Employees at IT MSPS

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average cost of hiring and onboarding a new employee is about 30% of the individual’s annual earnings. So, the onboarding process is definitely worth the time it takes to develop a great new hire, ensure they like the job, and stay with the company for years to come.Tips from our MSP-Ignite Service Manager Peer GroupRecently in the MSP-Ignite Service Manager Peer Group meetings, we wrestled with this very subject. Here are some tips we came up with to guide you:

Before the Technician’s First Day

• Obtain a new hire checklist (created by HR)

• Clean up the new hire’s cube (by the manager)

• Modify cube if needed (by facilities)

• Stock cube with office supplies (by a manager)

• Setup technology (by Internal Net Admins)

• Provide company swag (by Marketing)

First Day on the Job:

• Process HR paperwork• Give a tour of the building• Meet fellow employees• Lunch with the manager and the team• Complete technology setup• Introduce core application

First week on the Job:

• Mentor assigned to the new hire (not the Manager)• New hire meets with key personnel in half-day meetings (30-minute meetings)▬ Key personnel provide overviews of what they do and how they fit into the operational flow of the company▬ New hire listens and asks questions so that he/she has a full understanding of who this person is and why they are a key person in the company(The value is in the key personnel getting to know the new hire, and for the new hire to learn how to navigate the organization successfully.)(My personal preferences are a top-down approach to meeting Key Personnel, starting with the ultimate decision maker.)• Half-day shadowing (opposite the key personnel meetings)▬ Shadow mentor (but of course)▬ Shadow other team members▬ Shadow other skill sets and other responsibilities from what they are expected to perform initially▬ Shadow at least one cross-functional sales/technician• End each day or every other day with a meeting with the manager

Second Week on the Job:

• Half-day meetings with key personnel, if needed• Half days working in a new position▬ Mentor shadowing (but of Course)▬ Other team members shadowing• A half-day shadow of a skill-set stretch goal for the new hire• Weekends with new hire and manager mapping out a skill training plan for the new hire over the next 6 months

IT Service Managers, Here are Your 3 Tips to Full Assimilation

1. Listen to the New Hire’s ideas: The new hire is the smartest person in the company; the rest of the employees have already been fully assimilated and are now part of the group think.2. Assign work to the New Hire requiring the skills he/she offers so that the new hire feels valued and respected for contributions to the organization.3. Schedule a significant amount of time for shadows and introductions to customers and their networks: this should taper off towards the end of the 6-month training period. You should expect some shadowing to continue during the tenure of the employee as the company grows the employee’s career. Still have questions? Feel free to leave a comment or email me at sbuyze@sbuyze.com to discuss the process of onboarding in more depth.