Hiring someone new doesn’t end when they sign a contract. This is just the first step. After that, you must continue following up, so to ensure you have chosen the best candidate.

But aren’t you sure how to track the integration process of new hires? Then here are some quick tips for you. They put together the most recommended and simple ways to accomplish this task.

6 Quick Tips for Tracking the Integration Process of New Hires

 

1 – Define measurable targets

Before anything, some concepts must be clear in your mind: 

· What do you understand by integration? 

· What signs allow you to tell if a new hire is integrating in the way you expected? 

· How can you measure these signs? 

The answer to the last question is critical. Yes, integration can be subjective. But you can’t track it unless you find objective ways to measure it. You need to define measurable goals so you can find out if the integration process is going well. For instance, consider evaluating the quality of the work they have delivered so far.

2 – Automate your onboarding process

Once you have defined measurable goals, you are ready to track the integration process of your new hires. But how do you do it? There are a few solutions for this, and one of the best is using an online tool.

Look for a solution with workflow, scheduling, and task management, along with other workforce management features. Use them to automate your onboarding process, creating tasks your new employees can get done with or without your help. It will also save you time and ensure you won’t forget anything.  

3 – Assign a mentor from day one

To track an integration process in detail, you need to know:

· How are the new employees performing?

· What doubts they have?

· What are their biggest challenges so far?

To learn this, assign them a mentor from day one and keep in touch with this person. 

Many newcomers won’t share facts and thoughts with someone they hope to impress (like their boss), or someone they think might use their words against them (like a colleague). On the other hand, a mentor, more likely to be perceived as a reliable supporter, can gather valuable information for you.

4 – Keep your eyes open all the time

Yes, this is about you doing some spy work. But don’t try anything that can be seen as a privacy breach. The idea is that you keep your eyes (and ears) open whenever you have an opportunity to see how your new hires are performing.

Based on what you see and hear, try to answer these questions:

· Do they seem to be fitting in the workplace?

· Are they communicating with other members of the staff? Or do they seem isolated?

· Are they arriving on time and getting their tasks done?

Some of these answers will come from your gut feeling. Therefore, they won’t be 100% reliable. But they can be used to support your conclusions.

5 – Ask the opinion of the team

At some stage of the integration process, you will need to hear from team leaders. But it’s not only the opinion of supervisors or managers that matters. You should sit with the new hire’s colleagues as well.

Here is how you do it:

· Prepare your questions beforehand, so you and they stay focused.

· Make this type of conversation standard procedure for all staff, to avoid people thinking the new employee is about to lose their job.

· Concentrate on the positive aspects as much as in the negative ones.

· Take everything in with a pinch of salt. Listen carefully but draw your own conclusions.

6 – Check-in for feedback

Finally, allow new employees to speak for themselves. They can tell if they are integrating better than anyone else.

Review the onboarding process with them and ask what needs improvement, what helped, and what was a waste of time. Also, check how they are managing their daily activities from logging their hours to delivering reports. You might hear some hard truths, but it’s worth it.

 

Integration is a continuous process

The integration of new hires can take several weeks, even months to be completed. It depends on the tasks your new employee will perform and your company culture. So be prepared to track it for a while.

Still, it doesn’t need to be the end of the world. The tips above will speed things up and guide you through the process. Adapt them to your workplace and make the most of them so that the integration of new hires can become much more manageable.