Hiring a new team member? Here’s how to set them (and you) up for success

So you’ve decided to take the bold, big step and move from your solo entrepreneur status by making your first hire. Or you’ve decided to increase your business team size by adding one more member. Setting up a business team can be the game-changer for your operations and help you free up time for more long-range, strategic work. It could also yield the opposite outcomes, and this is why it’s important to set everyone joining your team up for success the moment they walk through your door and sign the employee contract.

Here are

1. How to contact you. This is particularly important if you are remote or not always physically available. Spell out your preferred contact channels: email, phone call, SMS, WhatsApp Zoom, Teams, or WhatsApp call. It’s easy to assume everyone has the same preferred contact channels, but it differs for multiple reasons. So set the expectation on how business communications will be best channeled. Go with the contact channel that is least intrusive to you but most accessible to you both. Also, align on times in the day and days in the week when you will be available to be reached.

2. How often you will check in with them about their work. This is expected to be more frequent for the first few days to build alignment on expected work processes and output, and will space out as time goes on and you develop a level of confidence with their work output. Weekly check-ins are most common, but select a frequency that matches the specific needs of your business and business maturity. Also define the content of check-in sessions: What level of detail do you want to see from them? Do you want a detailed report, a presentation summary, an email update, or you want to review their live work? What are the documents you want to review during the check-in session? How long will the check-in sessions be for?

3. Scope of work. What will they be expected to do, what tasks will they be expected to complete or undertake on a daily, weekly and monthly basis? What ad-hoc, unplanned tasks may arise that they will be expected to handle? Also, what will they not be expected to do? This is usually work other people or yourself are already doing, so this needs to be spelled out to avoid duplicate efforts, resulting in wasted time and energy.

4. Other members of the team (optional). Introduce them to others in the team, and let them know what each person on the team is responsible for. Let the other members of the team know what the new joiner will be responsible for. Point out who they can reach out to for specific issues.

5. Governance. Essentially, have answers to these questions: what activities can I perform independently, and what activities will I need to get authorization to execute? Who will I need to get authorization from? What meetings will we be sharing business performance data at, and how often will they be happening? Who do I escalate issues to, and through what channels?

6. How their performance will be evaluated. What KPI or performance targets will they be measured on? What are the definitions of success? What is your definition of good work, subpar work, and excellent work? All these need to be defined for the new team member.

7. Code of Conduct. What will appropriate behavior look like? What performance levels are expected along the areas of dress code, resumption or available times, discussing the business or their work on social media or with others, the confidentiality of work processes and business data they’ll be handling. Make it clear what categories of work data can be shared within the team, within the business, to the public, and with business leadership. Clearly define how information can be shared, what professional conduct looks like, what language is not permitted with customers, language with customers, and how others should be addressed (first name basis?, etc)

8. Advancement opportunities. Let the new team member know what career progression opportunities (promotions, salary upward reviews, expanded roles, training programs, etc.) exist in your business, and under what conditions they will be accessed.

9. Benefits or perks they can access. This includes but not limited to health insurance, life insurance, mortgage or loan facility, pensions, and offshore training or subsidies for professional certifications.