Perhaps your company is just starting to hire again after the economic downturn, and you need ideas on how to make your new hires more successful. You don’t want to just hire them, run them through the standard orientation, and let them go.

Here are a few tips that just might help your new employees do their jobs better, sooner—and make you happy that you hired them.

New hires need to know your company’s culture. Simply put, if everyone except the new guy knows that Fridays are Hawaiian shirt day, or that nobody ever works late, you’re not doing them any favors by withholding such information. It can be difficult for business owners to see the company culture because they’re so used to it—but it’s important to help new employees adapt to it.

And start right away—maybe even before the person is hired. Hiring the candidate who’s most qualified but just won’t fit in with your company culture is probably a recipe for failure. Let candidates know during the interview process how things are done, and allow them to decide if your company is a good fit for them. Be honest and paint a realistic picture of your organization.

Introducing a promising candidate to the rest of the team will make them feel more comfortable when and if they are hired. They’ve already met the people they’re going to be working with, so one big barrier is overcome. If you can’t make introductions before hiring the new employee, be sure to make proper introductions on Day 1.

As manager or owner, your job is to recognize who the new hire will work closely with, who their possible conflicts might be with, and who can help them in their position. Tell your new hire who the 5 most important staff members are for her to know. Ask those staffers to take a few minutes to meet with the new hire and identify ways they will work together.

Training is good, but too much training and not enough working can be detrimental to a new employee. Provide resources and support the new employee needs, but let them do their job, too. This allows your new employee to make connections with other staff, and learn how things are really done.

Helping your new employees learn your company culture and who they need to know are two ways to help them transition more successfully!

As we wait for our economy to come out of recession, smart employers will continue to find ways to invest in employees to keep their companies going strong.

One way to do it is to keep working on your company culture—which we’ve discussed previously in this blog. An important thing to remember is that creating a strong company culture isn’t about spending money. It’s about bringing employees into a shared vision and purpose.

How do you find the people who share your company’s vision and purpose? Look for a passion for what you’re doing. It can’t always be about the money—especially in this economy! Employees understand that companies are cutting expenses, perks, and benefits. Belief in what their employer is doing is more important to many young people today.

Your company’s culture is based in the leadership from the top—so it’s up to you to give your employees what they’re looking for. These days, more employers are offering a relaxed work environment, flexible hours, and telecommuting. But every employer can provide the upbeat, vibrant surroundings, positive feedback, and learning opportunities that make employees want to stay and help the company achieve success.

How do you get employees to buy into your leadership? Your employees want to learn and be challenged. Be transparent to help them learn everything about you and your company. Give them opportunities to stretch and grow. Invest in your employees by training them properly and giving them the tools they need to succeed at their jobs.

Think about recruiting your employees even after they’ve been hired. Recruit their ideas, their input, their buy in, and their loyalty. And institute their suggestions for improvements–nothing makes employees happier than to see a suggestion acted upon.

If you invest wisely in your people, they will want to support you and the company’s vision—because it’s their vision, too.

A company culture of strong leadership doesn’t cost anything—and it leads to higher productivity, lower turnover, and greater customer satisfaction.

Hiring employees is a lot like dating.  If you know yourself well, you know exactly what you’re looking for in a partner—and why those blind dates your Aunt Jane sets up are often disastrous. You know when there’s a good fit, even if you can’t quite explain why. 

It’s like that with companies, too. Every organization has an expected culture—law firms are generally very polished, while garden centers may have a more relaxed feel.  High-tech start-ups are high-energy and filled with workaholics; retirement homes are necessarily less stressful. 

Identifying your company’s culture can go a long way toward recruiting and hiring the best employees.  Take a good look around—what do you see?  Are people relaxed and smiling, or anxious and stressed out?  Is the environment neatly organized with everything in its place—or does it always need tidying up?  What do you hear? Is there a certain lingo in the conversations taking place? What type of music is playing? Or, is there no music—ever? Who’s allowed inside? Are there public and private spaces, or is the entire business open to everyone?

What about your company’s public face? Is your advertising formal or fun? How do employees communicate—in person or through memos and email? How do they address your customers? How do they address each other, and management?

All of these factors make up the invisible, but very real, culture of your company. When recruiting and hiring employees, keep the culture in mind and remember that you cannot force a good fit. Square pegs generally fit best into square holes. If your culture is formal and polished, an applicant wearing a t-shirt and jeans is not likely to work out well. And if your staff is all about fun and funky, a tightly-wound, stressed out type would not make for happy co-workers.

Think about the types of people who succeed in your organization—and those who fail. Determine their strengths and limitations, and look for these in potential applicants.  Then, think about the core values you want to promote in your company, and make sure you hire with them in mind. If customer service is the basis of your company’s culture, you should only hire applicants who demonstrate high levels of service. A wrong hiring decision can set your company back several steps. If product excellence is most important in your company’s culture, be sure your potential employees are likewise committed to delivering the highest quality product each and every day. 

Understanding your company culture can make it easier to hire and retain employees—just make sure your Aunt Jane isn’t setting up the interviews!