By: Mitzi Kent, RN, BSN | mkent@barlowmccarthy.com
Developing an effective onboarding plan for your recruitment team is just as important as having an efficient plan for providers. Well-trained recruiters are better listeners and deliver more succinct and accurate candidate summaries than those who are not well-trained. But, like most orientations for new employees, we tend to onboard using the same methods regardless of the individual.
Perhaps it’s time to rethink how we are onboarding our recruiters, sourcers and other team members. New employees, like most people, feel more loyal to organizations that listen to their needs and wants. Yet too often, the onboarding process looks more like an orientation – a very tactical approach, focusing on getting paperwork completed and getting them trained on CRM systems and platforms used for sourcing. Although all of these items are essential, there is more needed for an effective start out of the gate.
I recently was on a call with a client. The recruitment leader opened the call with a question to the team, “What good habit do you want to master? And what poor habit do you want to lose?” What if we, like this client, asked what our team wants or needs different from their standard agenda? Would customizing our onboarding plans improve our recruiter retention? Here are a few ways to customize our onboarding process to meet our team’s needs.
Ask your team what areas THEY want to focus on. New team members want to feel that their voice is heard. As leaders, asking questions like: What areas of this role give you the most anxiety? What aspects of the work would you like more direction and involvement from me? Whether a team member is new to the role or has years of experience, each has areas where they want to improve. These kinds of questions give new employees a chance to tell you what they want to focus on first
Spend ample time focusing on branding. Your recruiters often serve as the first “face” of the organization. A recruiter who can paint the picture of the company’s culture and is a strong brand ambassador leads in the talent acquisition race. Spend time, in the beginning, sharing what the organization’s culture means to you and how you describe the organization to potential candidates. Role-playing through this process will give your new recruiter the vision of crafting their message.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. As recruitment leaders today, we have a lot on our plates. New recruiter onboarding often gets cut short because of the time we have available to devote to it. Don’t be afraid to reach out to experts in this field to assist you in this process. This shows the commitment to your recruiters’ success.
Don’t forget the little things One of the most frustrating comments a new recruiter often shares comes down to items that “fall down the cracks” – targeting different types of candidates, specifics on job postings and sharing best practices. These minor aggravations can turn a positive experience into a negative one. A detailed tactical plan and frequent check-ins will eliminate these frustrations and show your new recruiter a well-reasoned onboarding approach.
Provider recruitment is a complex role with many facets and many onboarding programs will dive deep into their process. No provider recruiter onboarding can succeed in today’s day and age without these components. Start with them and you are on the right track.
If you are looking for sourcing and/or new recruiter virtual training to help you create a customizable training program, please let me know, I would love to help. You can reach me at mkent@barlowmccarthy.com.