08 Nov Hiring and Retention – Part 2
Larger law practices invest heavily in recruiting new solicitors and associates—only to find that they leave the firm within a few years, before they are truly productive. Corporations often have greater success in retaining the employees they hire. Their secret? What can your practice learn from corporations about how to select, integrate and develop good employees?
INVEST MORE IN NEW HIRE INTEGRATION.
It has long been known that it is a recipe for failure to hire someone new and merely throw them into the fire. Instead, corporations are increasingly taking a systematic approach to the integration of new employees. This approach, known as on-boarding, involves :
Identifying the new employee’s goals and aspirations
Putting a development plan into place to motivate and support his or her best performance
Involving a mentor who takes an active role in helping the new hire become a functioning member of the organization.
The employees first week is not just a bunch of group orientation sessions or a lunch with a mentor who answers a few questions and then disappears from the new hire’s work life. Instead, new hire integration generally provides a highly individualized approach that signals that their employer is invested in their productivity, development and satisfaction.
The first week could involve putting the final touches on a development plan based on goals and priorities discussed during the selection process. It could involve being completely set up with all forms of technology, and/or having meetings set up with key players in the practice, and appointing someone (the boss or someone else) who has ongoing responsibility and incentive to help an employee perform at his or her best.
Many new hires just want a job with a steady pay cheque. They have given little thought to what practice areas they might enjoy, how to join a desired practice group or what it might take to make their best contributions to the firm. The firm can provide the attention and development assistance to answer these crucial career questions, and in the process, maximize the performance of the new hire.
New hires can be invited to meet with leaders, including practice group leaders, and encouraged to ask questions. Meetings with senior associates should also be part of the development plan – they can share lessons learned, tips on obstacles to avoid, and help in career development.
Day 1 should also include an orientation on the firm’s technology. New hires need to know what the firm has available to help them hit the ground running and whom to call if they can’t figure out how it works.
Development plans can provide the new hires with help in setting short, medium and long term goals. For example, it would reduce a new hires stress levels to know what they will be expected to know six months or a year from now. Sharing this information with new hires gives a roadmap from which they can determine if they are moving in the right direction. It also provides structure and clear performance expectations.