Start New Hires Off Strong with Strong Start®

You’ve spent a lot of time and money to bring high performers into your organization. Now comes the hard work.

Every new hire wants to be successful, to quickly make a meaningful contribution. This is the time that they are most engaged in the job, yet half of job seekers report that they have been in their current job less than one year.

Your leaders need to take an active role in assuring their new hires’ needs are met. Early efforts will go a long way towards determining whether new team members become fully proficient quickly or become a turnover statistic.

DDI’s new 1/2 day course, Strong Start^® , provides leaders with a process to help new hires become productive quickly, enhance a new hire’s engagement, and increase his or her desire to stay with the position or the organization.

The process includes six key factors to new hire success. The Strong Start^® course takes a deeper dive into items 4-6:

1. Good Selection—hiring the right person for the job using effective selection tools and processes.
2. Appropriate Orientation—providing a thorough orientation to the overall organization, its direction, and values (often HR’s responsibility).
3. Proper Equipment—having the proper tools, resources, and equipment ready on the person’s first day.
4. Clear Expectations—ensuring a clear understanding of position’s/team’s goals and your (the leader’s) expectations.
5. Effective Business Networks—encouraging the person to ask for help in early assignments by helping him or her develop a network of people who can aid in getting him or her started in the new position and in ongoing job success.
6. Strong Start Development Plan—using selection data and job requirements, begin Strong Start development planning on DAY ONE (or during your first few days with the person). (Establish a plan to fill in skill and knowledge gaps and assure the new person of support.)