If you are an experienced executive recruiter, you know that the time between a new hire’s acceptance and the actual start date can last from 2 to 4 weeks. I call this the “Twilight Zone” as anything can still happen i.e. the candidate decides to stay with their current employer or they decide that the relocation is just not in the cards for their family.
You also know that most candidates honor their word and start when they are supposed to with the new employer.
What is the best way to insure that the new hire will start when they say they will?
Recently my client hired an employee who was going to start in 3 weeks. During this interim time, the hiring executive asked for the new employee to set a time to come back and meet the work team and also see her office space. HR also asked her to complete the benefit paperwork so that she could get a head start on the administrative details.
This was simple but a brilliant plan to “glue” the just hired employee to the new company. This also helped the new employee with her own expectations and stress level as far as what the first day would look like and who would be on her team.
Using this simple method is good business. Avoid taking chances during the new hire’s “Twilight Zone.”
You don’t have a hire until they start and walk through the door on day one.
