The first two steps of the Employee Lifecycle are Recruiting and Sourcing, and Onboarding and Integration. These are critical steps that set the stage for the success of both the employees and the organization. For a more in-depth look at these stages, enroll in our free Foundations of Tribal HR training series.
Analyzing Staffing Needs
It’s important to analyze the need and create a plan so that you can respond to staffing gaps. Your staffing plan includes job tasks, utilization factors, and many other variables. It will also include factors such as the current labor market, wage inflation, employee engagement, and retirement.
Once you have an idea of your staffing requirements, you’ll need to consider timing and projected growth to create a supply forecast. To perform the gap analysis, subtract the projected number of employees available from the projected number of employees needed. Create a defined strategy if you discover that you need additional employees.
Hiring and Recruiting
Just because you have a gap doesn’t mean that you need to hire. A good strategy considers both additions and reduction in staff and is aligned with your organization’s growth plan.
Some organizations prefer to hire behind their employment requirements. HR professionals are almost always asked what strategies they can employ to maximize current human resources and reduce the number of positions that need to be filled. Some of the strategies they employ include retention, reorganization, and work process redesign.
Other organizations prepare to hire right on time or begin recruiting ahead of their employment needs. Perhaps this is due to rapid growth or a favorable labor market. Strategies that help fill the gap include recruiting, workforce development, training and development and succession planning.
Once you’ve decided to hire you’ll create a job description, perform job and task analysis, and prepare to recruit the perfect employee. You’ll execute to a selection process, which normally includes screening, interviews, assessment, evaluation, offer and acceptance.
Successful Onboarding
Once you’ve hired that perfect candidate, it’s time to onboard them. Remember that starting a new job can be an exciting experience, but it can also be overwhelming and stressful. Welcoming employees before their first day, having a structured new-hire orientation and onboarding process can help ease that stress and go a long way towards retention.
Continue to check in with new employees and make sure they are adjusting well. Your visit doesn’t have to be formal or intimidating. Simply stop by and have a chat with them. Of course, you can include more formal check-ins as well.
Our free Foundations of Tribal HR training series provides a deeper dive into each of the elements included in this post. It’s a perfect no-risk training opportunity for your professional development. Enroll today or get a group of your peers to take it together.