IT Service Managers: 3 Easy Tips for On-Boarding New Hires

In the 6 weeks we've spent from Apr 6th thru May 11th writing about hiring tips for IT Service Managers, we’ve covered a lot of territory. We have discussed “Hiring Techs (without hiring a Tech),” “Shift-Left = Hiring a Tech,” and more. Then, it dawned on me today... We left IT Service Managers high and dry by not closing the loop with some New Hire On-Boarding tips. So, You’ve Hired a New IT Technician. Now what? What comes next? How do you transform them from candidate to an effective member of the Team?  FYI: the cost of not properly On-Boarding a great candidate can be expensive. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average cost is 30% of the individual’s annual earnings. So, the On-Boarding process is definitely worth the time it takes to develop a great New Hire.

Tips from our MSP-Ignite Service Manager Peer Group

Recently in the MSP-Ignite Service Manager Peer Group meetings, we wrestled with this very subject. Here are some tips we came up with to guide you:   Before the Technician’s First Day:

it service managers | it technician

• Obtain a New Hire checklist (created by HR) 

• Clean up the New Hire’s Cube (by manager)  

• Modify cube, if needed any (by facilities)  

• Stock cube with office supplies (by manager)  

• Setup technology (by Internal Net Admins)  

• Provide Company swag (by Marketing)  

First Day on the Job:

• Process HR paperwork 

• Give tour of the building

• Meet fellow Employees 

• Lunch with Manager and Team 

• Complete technology Setup 

• Introduce Core Application 

First week on the Job:

it service managers | it technician

• Mentor assigned to the New Hire (not the Manager) 

• New Hire meets with Key Personnel in half day meetings (30 minute meetings) 

• Key Personnel provide overviews of what they do and how they fit into the operational flow of the company 

• New Hire listens and asks questions, so that he/she has a full understanding of who this person is and why they are a key person in the company   

(The value is in the Key Personnel getting to know the New Hire, and the New Hire to learn how to navigate the organization successfully.)(My personal preferences are a top-down approach to meeting Key Personnel, starting with the ultimate decision maker.)

• Half-day shadowing (opposite the Key Personnel meetings) 

• Shadow Mentor (but of course) 

• Shadow other Team Members 

• Shadow other skill sets and other responsibilities from what they are expected to perform initially 

• Shadow at least one cross-functional Sales/Technician

• End each day or every other day with a meeting with the Manager 

Second Week on the Job:

• Half-day meetings with Key Personnel, if needed 

• Half days working in new position 

• Mentor shadowing (but of Course) 

• Other Team Members shadowing 

• A half-day shadow of a skill-set stretch goal for the New Hire 

• Week ends with New Hire and Manager mapping out a skill training plan for the New Hire over the next six months 

IT Service Managers, Here are Your 3 Keys to Full Assimilation  

1. Listen to the New Hire’s ideas: The New Hire is the smartest person in the company; the rest of the Employees have already been fully assimilated and are now part of the group think.

1. Assign work to the New Hire requiring the skills he/she offers, so that the New Hire feels valued and respected for contributions to the organization.

it service managers | it technician

1. Schedule a significant amount of time for shadows and introductions to Customers and their networks: This should taper off towards the end of the six-month training period. You should expect some shadowing to continue during the tenure of the Employee as the company grows the Employee’s career.