Prep Them Right: The new kid

BY ELLEN ROHR,

contributing writer

Remember what it is like to be the New Kid on the job? Maybe you have had one of these experiences…

Scenario #1: Friday afternoon, you get the call: You’re hired! Monday morning, you show up on time and ready to go. You walk in the front door, introduce yourself to the first person you see and are told straight away that you are using the wrong entrance. You walk out and around the back of the building and introduce yourself to someone who looks like a technician. He’s wearing a blue shirt with “Sam” on the name patch. Great! You introduce yourself and announce that you have been hired to be a technician, too! His response, “What? Are you kidding? That’s just great. We barely have enough calls to go around as it is. Man, I knew he (your new boss) would pull something like this.”

Welcome aboard!

Scenario #2: You are making good money where you are working now. But the on-call is killing you and your wife just pointed out — again — that you haven’t had a pay raise in three years. So, you scan the want ads, call the number in an ad and set up an interview. You meet with the owner. Nice enough guy, though pretty frazzled. You have a job already and really nothing to lose, so you shoot for the moon when he asks what you expect for a starting salary. He says, “OK. When can you start?” Terrific! You show up on your first day, loaded for bear and ready to go! The owner greets you with a nod and says, “Ride along with Sam today. He’ll show you the ropes.” You jump into the truck with Joe and the temperature drops 30°. Sam refuses to look at you or talk to you until lunchtime, when over his salami sandwich he announces, “I have been working here for 10 years. You just waltz in and demand $xx per hour. I don’t even make that.”

Welcome aboard!

Sheesh.

These moments can cause you to say, “To heck with it. I am going to start my own business. If that bozo can do it, surely I can be successful.” Maybe that’s what got you started.

How about the last New Kid to show up at your shop? Could he or she have lived one of these scenarios?

Your perspective of the New Kid’s first day

You are probably really, really busy. You’re overwhelmed, frustrated and at wit’s end. Desperate enough to actually hire someone even though, deep down, you don’t want to and just know that no one out there is as good as you are. You just know that kids today don’t have a good work ethic. You just know that you can’t find good help. You put an ad in the paper.

“Plumber wanted. Must have experience and own tools.”

You interview a few people. No time to do a background check or call references. You narrow in on the one person who doesn’t have a neck tattoo. You succumb to his ruthless negotiation to pay him what he’s asking. Yes, it is more than anyone else at the company makes. But this kid has really great sales experience. He told you about that time he went on a toilet repair call and sold a total bathroom remodel! He could be what you need to make up for nine months of crappy sales and no profits. He could be the ONE. One part of you expects him to be a total loser and the other part hopes he is the Kobe Bryant of Plumbing.

He shows up for work and your first thought is, “Oh yeah, I hired that guy. Uh oh. I am too busy to deal with this today. I’ll have him ride along with Sam.”

Here’s how a poor start can end up…

Sam’s surly communication encourages poor performance and grumbling. Your New Kid morphs into the same-old Ol’ Timer. He “quits” but continues to take a paycheck for the next 15 years.

Here’s how a great first day could springboard a fabulous new career…

The New Kid is watching you. He wants to believe in you. Consider that this kid’s first day marks a peak period of willingness. This person is willing to do things your way. He is hoping that this job will be the one where he can shine. He believes in you and looking to you for leadership.

Don’t be in a rush to “pawn off” the New Kid to another team member. I know a service manager who commits one full week of his time to each new hire. It provides a great opportunity to bond, to learn about one another and make sure this relationship is a good fit all around. Spend time with the New Kid, sharing your story…where you have been, where you are now and where you are going. Talk to him about what’s important to you. As Dale Carnegie said, “Rip open your chest and let him see your heart.” Ask him about his hopes and dreams. Discover what his life is like…his family, his hobbies, his history and intentions for the future. Observe the way he talks to people and holds a pair of Channellocks. This sets the stage for your future together. On your watch, you can help this person develop his skills and capacity for success. On your watch, he can grow and become a great provider for his family. If you do your job really well, he can become a leader…and take on the development of your next New Kids.

Fall on your sword…and then get right back up!

Most folks make mistakes with the New Kid and blow the first day. If you recognize yourself here, go ahead and take the hit. Then, dust yourself off. You can make it better. You can start from where you are and get where you want to be. That is always the case. These are not fatal scenarios, just less-than-optimal scenarios. You might try this: Hold a team meeting and say:

I want to straighten out our organizational chart and ladder of opportunity. Up until now, I have been winging it. I have not had a good plan for hiring and helping you move up the ladder here. So, I intend to change that. Here is our updated org chart. This will help you see who reports to whom and how you fit in. I am also updating our pay ladder. I would like to make it really clear…where one starts as a New Kid and what it takes to advance. I am open to your ideas. I know that I am responsible for making the final decision about this…however, I would like to hear your opinion. Jot down your ideas and deliver them to my inbox by the end of the week.”

Then, visit with each team member individually over the next week or so. Listen to them. Next, craft a pay ladder that makes sense. Refer to your budget. Consider the skill set required to move from one rung to the next. What kind of training can you offer that will help each person move up? Update your org chart and pay ladder. You might have to “grandfather” a couple of people onto a pay scale. Create an orientation checklist to make sure your New Kid’s first day is a powerful, positive experience. (See sample – Days 1-3)

And, then, review and build on these tools. Consider the dramatic impact these systems could have on your business.

Love to you and your New Kids!                   

Need help? Reach me at 417/753.1111 or contact@barebonesbiz.com. You can also join in on our FREE “We love solving problems” Teleseminars at www.barebonesbiz.com.

I’m the New Kid at Phc News and I have been given a red carpet welcome. Thanks to the TMB Publishing team for making me feel like a rock star! I believe that honorable, profitable, free trade is a path to prosperity, peace and freedom across the planet. I’m excited to use my space in this fine magazine to help you build your extraordinary business!