On Boarding Part Deux

In this episode we'll continue our conversation about Rapid On-boarding. The process in which we quickly activate new employees, bring them into the fold and make them profitable.

Last week we spoke about the problems with Reading. Today we're going to begin talking about doing. One of the most efficient ways to get a new recruit up to speed is to set them to a project. Often someone right out of college isn't quite ready for a client project, more often internal projects are boring. I like to offer recruits a third option, a research project that places them at the helm of a problem, utilizes the research and writing capabilities they built during their time at school, interests them and teaches them about what we do.... Wow, thats a mouthful, how can something be that good? Well first ask them what they are interested in. In my business I'll ask them what industry interests them. If for instance they say pharmaceuticals I will reach out to colleagues and find out what contacts or clients we may have. I'll then ask the new recruit to learn everything they can about that company over a couple of days, with the goal of pitching that company a piece of work.

All companies (especially perhaps pharmaceuticals) have problems, the new recruit will work with our colleagues to find them (thus meeting new people and networking) develop solutions from our area's of expertise (which requires research the exact business they do against what we offer) and then develop a presentation that we could cold send to the client for their consideration (its important to elucidate the point of a cold send - because that will make the presentation far more effective and efficient).

There you have it. In a week's time a new recruit has learned about your business, learned about your co-workers, learned about your clients and has used all their research and knowledge to develop a presentation. They've just run the entire gamut of the consulting industry, they've led it all, they've done their own time management and they can be (and usually are) very proud of the work they've done.

If you work in consulting or a similar industry, try it out for one of your new people. I promise it will be effective.