10 Questions Recruiters or Managers Should Ask New Hires Within their first 60 days

June 2, 2014 - PRLog -- To avoid repeating that bandwidth consuming process, it's important to engage with all new employees soon after they arrive as to uncover any potential problems that can cause turnover.

Many management team members make the common mistake of waiting until an employee's performance or behavior starts to show problems before engaging in dialogue with the employee. By then, however, it can often be too late. The employee is halfway out the door.

It is important to make it a point to meet with all new hires within the first 60 days. Your goal: Discover their likes and dislikes about the job, environment and to see if the job meets their expectations and address potential problems before they become a problem.

It is beneficial to view these one-on-one chats as a continuation of recruitment and new-employee orientation along with a way to gain fresh insight into your department and or organization. The manager or recruiter should start the meeting by reminding the new employees that you're glad that they're part of the organization, and that you value their input and observations.

Then, ask some of the following questions, adapting them to your own needs:

1. Why do you think we selected you as an employee?

2. What do you like about the job and the organization?

3. What's been going well? What are the highlights of your experiences so far? Why?

4. Do you have enough, too much or too little time to do your work?

5. How do you see your job relating to the organization's mission?

6. What do you need to learn to improve? What can the organization do to help you become more successful in your job? (Don't ask these two questions unless you are prepared to follow up with action. Otherwise, you can build false expectations, and that can cause disappointment.)

7. Tell me what you don't understand about your job and about our organization.

8. Compare the organization to what we explained it would be like.

9. Which co-workers have been helpful since you arrived? (Goal: Pinpoint which employees can be influential in retaining the new hire.)

10. Who do you talk to when you have questions about work? Do you feel comfortable asking?

Finish the discussion by asking the employee if he or she has any questions for you or suggestions on how the job can be managed better.