7 Tips for Employers to Make Hiring Young People a Great Experience

Remember your first job? Was it a good or bad experience? It probably depended a lot upon the person who hired and supervised you. 

If your business is thinking about hiring a young person this summer, here are seven tips for how to make this a great experience for both of you.

• Be very clear about expectations during the job interview:

1. 1. • What hours is the employee supposed to work? If you want someone at their desk, ready to work at 8 a.m., then say so!
      • What is the dress code? Clothing that is clean and neat, no inappropriate wording on t-shirts, proper shoes, and good grooming are all reasonable expectations but if you don’t tell someone they may show up looking very different than they did at the interview.
      • Will the employee be allowed to use a personal phone while at work? If yes, what do you consider to be excessive use. Employers can require employees to lock their personal phone in a secured area or in their car and limit usage to breaks. 
      • Review the job duties and answer any questions the prospective employee might have during the interview. Applicants may claim how to do all of the tasks in the job description, but you should still be prepared to providing training on how you want the job done.

• On the first day of employment, repeat everything above! Make sure that the employee knows what your expectations are and that it is ok to ask questions. What do you want the young employee to do when they complete a task? 

• Provide on-the-job training by demonstrating tasks and then observing the employee do the task. Some employees are afraid to admit they don’t know how to perform a task. Take the time to provide training so that you don’t end up with work done incorrectly or incompletely.

• Check in regularly to make sure the employee is performing job duties the way you want things done. Answer questions, including “why does it have to be done that way?” People need to understand the “why” in order to learn a new process or task.

• Address any behavior or performance issues quickly by redirecting the employee to correct what he or she is doing. According to Ken Blanchard, a best selling author, speaker and business consultant, redirection means:

1. 1. • Describe the error objectively, without blame and without drama.
      • Describe the negative impact of the error.
      • If appropriate, take the blame for not being clear.
      • Go over the task or goal again.
      • Express continued trust and reaffirm your belief in the person’s abilities.

• Give lots of positive reinforcement. Be specific about what the employee has done well. People repeat actions that are praised.
• Thank the employee for arriving at work on time, being pleasant and trying their best. While you may not think this is necessary, imagine if they didn’t do this – is that the type of employee you would want?

While these tips are great for young employees in their first real job, they also work for any new hire. Invest in your employee’s success and it will pay off for you and your business.

An HR professional can help you with all of your human resource needs. 

From hiring the right employees, running background checks, creating employee handbooks that include anti-harassment policies and procedures, and so much more, Next Level Solutions can work with you to provide the services that you need to run your business.

For more information about our accounting and human resource services, contact Next Level Solutions at info@nextlevelsol.net or (225) 330-8347.