The Importance of Coaching New Employees - Spark Hire

The Importance of Coaching New Employees - Spark HireFor busy managers, it can be hard to keep your head above water each day. Youre focused on ensuring that open positions are filled and that productivity levels stay high. However, while youre zeroed in on the big picture, its important not to lose sight of the day-to-day details either. Part of this means providing proper coaching and guidance to new employees.We all know how detrimental constant turnover is to a company, but part of the reason behind this rapid turnover is often because new employees dont get the guidance they need as theyre getting started. As a result they quickly end up getting burnt out or fed up with the company.When employees know whats expected of them and how they can improve, theyre mora likely to remain invested in their current work environment. When you leave them to fend for themselves, though, the new situation can quickly become overwhelming. If youre looking to coach a new employee effectively, rem ember these pointsCut the small talk and get to the pointSome managers find that they have a hard time voicing concerns to employees. They may try to make small talk as a way to avoid cutting to the chase. While its okay to soften the blow, you also shouldnt hem and haw when it comes to expressing a concern. This conversation is important, and shouldnt be minimized with small talk or mindless chatter. Though it may not be pleasant to have a discussion about whats not working, this dialogue is a necessary part of a successful work environment.Offer specificsIf youre trying to explain problematic behavior to an employee, youll want to use real examples. Saying You seem distracted at work is a fairly subjective statement, and may quickly be shot down by a defensive team member. However when you say, Ive noticed youve been coming in late and leaving early for the past few weeks, then it becomes hard to argue. When youre voicing a concern, avoid speaking in hypotheticals and stick to the facts.Help this person understand how the problematic behavior impacts the teamWhen youre coaching an employee and helping them to overcome a problem area at work, it is important to place this individual into the bigger picture in the office. They may think that their unwillingness to master a certain computer program isnt a major deal, not realizing that it makes more work for everyone else. When you are trying to help an employee to improve, it is helpful to remind them how they are connected to the rest of the team.Explain what the ideal behavior is, instead of simply saying whats not acceptableIf you are trying to help a staff member overcome a rough patch, you want to make sure they know what the ideal course of action is. Its easy to focus on what theyre doing wrong, but its hard to help them adjust if they never really hear what right means. If they dont realize that theyre supposed to be turning that paperwork in on Fridays, they may have no idea that theyre creating an is sue within the company. To help this individual become a more beneficial part of the office, you need to reinforce what the ideal behavior is so that they can adjust accordingly.When you coach a staff member, what techniques do you use to make your point in a diplomatic way? Let us know in the comments.