I remember with great fondness, as I was growing up, some of the funny expressions my grandfather, Gus, used to say. Whenever there was a holiday or some other event to celebrate, Gus would raise his glass and come out with some pretty interesting toasts. It didn’t matter how often he did it, he would provoke our laughter every single time. And one of his favorites was: “The first hundred years are the hardest!”
Recently, I was thinking about how that expression rings true for the start with a new employer. Of course, in that instance, “The first hundred days are the hardest” is more appropriate. This is a fact that more employers need to recognize, anticipate, and pro-actively address. Let’s face it, it may take 100 days for new employees just to find all the bathrooms and fire exits in some very large corporations. ;-)
Unfortunately, not all employers provide new hires with a mentor who can offer guidance during the critical first hundred days on the job. I’m not talking about the typical 3-5 day orientation that most companies offer. I’m talking about a real mentoring program with established checkpoints. Not only do new hires need to find the bathrooms, they also need to learn the company’s policies, processes, personnel, and technology. Perhaps most importantly, new hires must learn how to navigate the corporate politics.
So, the next time you find yourself hiring and wonder how you can improve new employee success (and ultimately, retention), start at the very beginning. Providing a seasoned mentor to help new hires navigate the terrain can set the stage for success and help them to conquer those first hundred days with confidence!
Recently, I was thinking about how that expression rings true for the start with a new employer. Of course, in that instance, “The first hundred days are the hardest” is more appropriate. This is a fact that more employers need to recognize, anticipate, and pro-actively address. Let’s face it, it may take 100 days for new employees just to find all the bathrooms and fire exits in some very large corporations. ;-)
Unfortunately, not all employers provide new hires with a mentor who can offer guidance during the critical first hundred days on the job. I’m not talking about the typical 3-5 day orientation that most companies offer. I’m talking about a real mentoring program with established checkpoints. Not only do new hires need to find the bathrooms, they also need to learn the company’s policies, processes, personnel, and technology. Perhaps most importantly, new hires must learn how to navigate the corporate politics.
So, the next time you find yourself hiring and wonder how you can improve new employee success (and ultimately, retention), start at the very beginning. Providing a seasoned mentor to help new hires navigate the terrain can set the stage for success and help them to conquer those first hundred days with confidence!
