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The new kids on the block Rapid hiring during the recovery has changed the complexion of many firms in the A/E/P and consulting industry.
T he rapid recovery in the A/E industry has led to unprecedented growth for many firms. Most firms have rebounded, surpassing their pre-recession revenue and staff levels in a relatively short amount of time. This has put tremendous strains on all areas of the firm, especially those related to new staff. The new kids on the block have the potential of changing the complexion of your firm. To put this into context, we are working with firms that have as much as three quarters of their current staff with tenure of three years or less. For many this is an employee mix never seen in the firms’ history. This is presenting tremendous internal and external challenges. On the internal side, those challenges come mainly in the form of cultural issues, and they turn into branding problems.
Chad Clinehens
process. This goes beyond company literature and a new-employee orientation slideshow. This is about immersing the employee in the culture and getting them to “drink the Kool- Aid” as quickly as possible. Make your current employees accountable for being welcoming to new employees. Organize social events aimed at See CHAD CLINEHENS, page 8 “The best way to get new employees to adopt a new culture and to make them productive is to put them through an immersion onboarding process.”
Rapid hiring often introduces new people into the organization that may not be the quality of traditional hires. Let’s face it, recessions offer an opportunity to clean house. Those with the lowest contribution get put on the street. Fast-forward to 2016, and the market is extremely tight, already absorbing everyone that has previous experience in the industry, good or bad. With that comes a potential imbalance among staff. The long-termers have been with you through good times and bad. They understand and reflect your culture. And in the near future, they could also be the minority in your firm. The best way to get new employees to adopt a new culture and to make them productive is to put them through an immersion onboarding
THE ZWEIG LETTER February 8, 2016, ISSUE 1138
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