Having the right onboarding procedure in place on a construction site will help new members of the team to contribute right from the start. It’ll mean higher levels of productivity and happiness among workers, fewer mistakes, and a lower bounce rate.
In other words, it’s something that you should get right wherever possible. But exactly how? Let’s take a look at some of the components of an effective welcoming process.
A welcome kit
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Providing new workers with a few choice items will help to cement your values, emphasize what’s important, and make them feel as though they’re part of the family. After all, getting something for free is likely to promote feelings of warmth. If you’re getting branded merchandise made, then here’s a perfect chance to give it away.
What you include in this kit will depend on the kind of work being done. Generally speaking, all construction workers might benefit from a quality tool lanyard to store the equipment that they most often reach for. ID cards, keys, driver bits, and other essential items can all be stored here.
Assign a buddy
Your existing workers can prove a great source of information and guidance, as well as provide a leg-up onto the social ladder of the workplace. Since every company and construction site works a little bit differently, having an example to refer to can be invaluable.
For these reasons, a buddy system can be extremely effective. Assign your new recruit to work alongside a suitable worker. Ideally, you should ask for volunteers, so that the buddy knows exactly what they’re getting in for. That way, you’ll get the advantages of mentorship without the drawbacks of creating an obligation.
Set aside time
Investing a little bit of time and energy in providing your new recruit with a verbal welcome and a tour of the premises may pay dividends in the long run. It’s a chance for introductions to be made, awkwardness cleared up, and any questions to be posted. It might be that you have a chance to nip certain problems in the bud before they have a chance to become big ones.
In most cases, you need only invest around an hour at the start of a new career – or perhaps even less. It’s almost always worth the trouble.
Follow-up
A certain number of new recruits may decide within the first few days and weeks that the job isn’t for them. They might leave suddenly, presenting you with no chance to talk them around. By taking a proactive approach and following up with new recruits, you’ll be able to prevent much of this unwanted turnover. Plus, you’ll demonstrate to your recruits that you care about holding onto them.
