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Building the right team… more than once

Posted on by strattonhr

A business can only be as successful as the team leading it. Often management teams consist of those first through the door, and many of them make excellent managers, but as a business grows it needs leaders as well as managers and many of those in at the beginning won’t make the grade. Appoint senior managers based on what they can do for the business going forward not what they did in the past. It’s unrealistic to expect that everyone remains fit for purpose in their roles in growth business. Situations change, business needs change and often its some of the leaders and managers need to change to meet those needs. Generalists rarely become specialists, and ‘doers’ can’t always become leaders. Be honest about what’s needed and appoint or recruit based on that alone.

Do it again

Building the right team is hard, but here’s the really bad news – you need to keep doing it. As your business evolves and grows, your organisational structure will need to do the same.

Finding good people is hard, finding great people even harder, so how do you go about it?

It may sound obvious but start by knowing what you’re looking for. Too often a role is identified and recruited for without due thought given to the problem you are trying to solve and the output you expect from that role. ‘Find me a good FD’ is not a recruitment brief, and without one it will take you much longer to find the right person, or result in wasted time and money while you make a few, often expensive, mistakes. Take the time to articulate exactly what the requirements of the role are, the experience you need to enable the job to be done well and the type of person you want to fit with your company culture.

And again

Given how tough it is to find good people you need to put recruitment and development front and centre of your business strategy. Understanding and accepting that the current roles, and the people in them, may need to change significantly down the line to support your plans is vital. Take the time to continually assess and develop your team – understand what you have, what you need and where the gaps are. Staff development will ensure good people are used effectively within your business, and well-planned recruitment will find the talent you need to fill the gaps.

So remember….

  • Appoint senior managers based on need and upside potential
  • Accept that not everyone will be able to step up
  • Specify the requirements of each role in detail
  • Regularly assess organisational needs and gaps
  • Keep recruitment and development front-of-mind
  • Build the right team for the situation

10 tips for onboarding new staff members

Posted on by strattonhr

Onboarding is important to help new starters feel welcomed, acclimate to the new environment and enabling them to integrate seamlessly into the organisation and become effective contributors. In fact, a recent study has shown that employees that are engaged in their onboarding process are 69% more likely to stay with the company for a minimum of three years.

Historically, onboarding was done in the in-person, however due to recent technological advancements and the evolving ways of working, this isn’t always possible or the most effective approach. Here are our top tips to ensure a smooth onboarding process both in-person and virtually:

Be prepared

Organise their equipment, get them set up on the system, prepare written guides etc. ahead of their first day so that they can hit the ground running.

Meet the team

Create meet the team documents that brings roles and responsibilities of the team to life! Include fun facts about the individual and contact details. This will be useful if working remotely, but also to refer back to during their first few weeks in-person.

Share the vision

Allow new starters to get the feel for their new Company. Share mission, vision and values and bring to life by explaining how their role contributes. Talk about the future of the Company – get them excited and inspired.

Set expectations

Outline what is expected of them and when by. This gives them goals to work towards and transparency in what you will be looking for.

Encourage feedback

Provide lots of feedback – they will want to know how they are doing! But two way feedback is very important. Encourage feedback from them on how their first few weeks have been, what was done well, what could have been better etc.

Wellbeing

Don’t forget about their wellbeing! New roles can be daunting and there is a lot to take in. Check-in, ensure they are managing ok and adjust approach/support if needed.

Daily 1:1s

Even if it is just ‘hello’, check-in on how they are doing and ask if there is anything further you can do to support. Remember, you are not ‘checking up’ on them – the purpose is regular catch-ups, not micromanagement.

Buddy system

Designate a ‘buddy’ – a colleague that they can go to for guidance if needed. Help them to feel welcome.

Don’t be afraid to over-communicate

It will be better for you to be able to take a step back once they are settled, than to have to step in due to poor performance, wellbeing or the threat of exit later down the line. It will also help them forge a trusting relationship with you, as their manager, quicker.

Put in the time!

Your new starter will greatly appreciate the time and effort you have put into the process. We guarantee that you will see a return on this investment of time with a more engaged and productive team member, that is more likely to stay with you!

Get the most out of virtual working

Posted on by strattonhr

Virtual working and virtual teams are becoming increasingly popular and common-place. Extended flexible working rights, improved technology and social change have enabled employees to carry out their roles from home while still remaining linked to colleagues and office systems.  

Home working can be hugely beneficial to growing SMEs as it delays, or even removes, the need for larger premises. It can also be viewed as a real perk depending on circumstance and as such serves to engender loyalty and commitment from those that value the flexibility it delivers. But before you send all your staff home with their laptops, take the time to ensure that this way of working is going to deliver value not only for your people but for your business too. 

It’s not for everyone 

Not everyone is suited to working on their own without day-to-day management, and it is vital that employers consider this when recruiting. Here are a few pointers when considering individuals for virtual working: 

  • Unsurprisingly, self-motivation is the most important of all the skills required. The ability to switch from home to work mode, and organise and complete tasks without constant direction and feedback, is vital for anyone to work from home successfully.
  • Resourcefulness is really important as there is no one on hand to talk through every problem or issue as it occurs. Ensure you have confidence in their ability to problem-solve and make good decisions.
  • Working from home suits more introverted personality types who don’t need the companionship, discussion and energy that an office environment provides. Take the time to explore whether potential candidates are introverts or extroverts and which working environment they are best suited to and create that environment to allow them to thrive. You may end up with a hybrid model where you have some flexible office space to facilitate collaboration and team work when required as well as virtual working capability
  • You may think that good communication skills are important in an office environment but they are even more important when working as a virtual team. They will need to use their judgement on when to communicate and when to just get on with it. There is a balance strike. Virtual workers can have a tendency to just knuckle down and become very self-reliant and self-sufficient. Whilst these are positive traits, they can also at times lose sight of the value collaboration and consultation with team members can add. Watch out for virtual workers hiding behind the email rather than building productive working relationships with colleagues through verbal communication. Whilst being able to articulate non-verbally is critical, you will often get a better and quicker result if you just pick up the phone. 

It’s up to you to make it work 

Having got the right people working virtually it can be very easy to think of them as separate from any office-based staff, but this is where it can all go wrong. 

  • Location is irrelevant, your team are your team. And as a manager, it’s your job to ensure that’s how it works in reality. Just because you are not physically together doesn’t exclude you from exerting normal management disciplines and holding the team to account when it comes to delivery.
  • Get the right tech in place. Whether it’s the ability to video conference, print remotely or collaboratively review and edit documents, working from home should be as easy as working in the office.
  • Whatever the culture of your business, make sure it extends beyond the office to all employees. Ensure all staff know each other and new employees are introduced wherever they are based.
  • And make the effort to get together proactively on a reasonably regular basis. Don’t let splendid isolation set in.