Questions to Ask

Even firms that employ a thorough hiring process often fail to follow up with new employees after a short time on the job. In comparison, when the company makes a significant sale it is common practice to follow up with a customer at least once, and sometimes multiple times, in order to ensure customer satisfaction. I suspect that employees (and companies) would benefit from the same practice.

My suggestion would be to add follow-up interviews to your hiring procedures. Conduct an informal follow-up meeting at 1 week and again at 1 month just to make sure everything is going well – those first 30 days are crucial to integrating into the company and finding out all of the things that aren’t in a job description.

At 60 days, conduct a formal follow-up and provide the opportunity for the new employee to speak candidly about the job, their expectations, and any observations they may have. Not only does this communicate value to the employee, but it may very well prevent a very minor challenge from growing into something significant.

Here are a few questions to ask a new employee after they have been on the job for a couple of months:

1. Are the requirements of the job as you expected? Did we communicate well in that regard?
2. How would you describe the company’s mission? Primary objectives?
3. How do you see your job connecting to the company’s mission and objectives?
4. Have I explained clearly what I expect of you?
5. Have you encountered anything that you don’t clearly understand?
6. What can I do to help you be more successful in your job?

Also, make sure to ask the employee about their impressions of the company and the job after 60 days in comparison to their perceptions after the interview process. This will help you determine if you are painting an accurate picture of the company for new employees. When a company meets the employee’s expectations, the odds for high performance increase significantly.