The Conveyancing industry is in a critical stage of growth in 2022, with onboarding key to its success. As we’ve heard in many of our triSearch Client Spotlights, firms throughout the Australian eastern seaboard are looking to expand and add staff.
However, that process is the challenge, with growing availability far outweighing the conveyancers available to fill the rolls. Complications like this will always lead to fluidity in the industry.
A crucial step to help your staff transition or to keep them ‘sticky’ to your firm is to ensure you have a successful onboarding process. Below is what you should consider adding to make your onboarding process successful.
1. Expectations
While you’ve likely established this in the interview process, it’s important to reiterate what you expect from your new hire. As well as include tips on how to thrive in their new environment. All else being equal, nothing will matter more for the success of your new hire than your alignment on what they’re expected to contribute and accomplish in their role.
With six-month probation periods most common in the industry, using a 30, 60, and 90-day plan will help set reasonable and measurable expectations.
2. Availability
The worst thing at a new job is being thrown in without any support, so make sure that your new hire knows that they have the support they need to do their job to the best of their abilities.
You may have your own job to do as a business owner and conveyancer. However, a big fault which can deter from an otherwise successful onboarding, is not being accessible to the new hire for any questions they may have.
A best practice to ensure the new hire feels supported at every stage is to assign tasks and allocate time for questions after, while remaining available throughout the task.
Not to deter from the process or from your schedule, you should also ensure the new employee knows the proper channels for asking questions.
3. Time
When brining on a new hire, particularly into a conveyancing firm, especially one which may be green to the industry, taking your time to onboard thoroughly and without over-complication and overload of information will be key.
This can be especially important when learning a new practice management system. For a new conveyancing firm, ensure you’re utilising an easy to learn software, with comprehensive and unlimited onboarding and support. Additionally, having a training hub with access to easily digestible video and user guide content can help your employees develop their software learning independently.
4. Remote onboarding
Remote and hybrid working environments are becoming more and more popular, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, having a remote onboarding process in place can help deter from any challenges you may encounter.
Additionally, it will allow you to expand your employee search pool if your firm is in a period of rapid growth. Being able to onboard, support and supply a working from home environment means you can hire from virtually anywhere!
5. Culture
New associates are exposed to your firm’s culture when they visit your website or social media, step into the office (or video call) for an interview, and especially on their first day on the job.
Immersing the new employee into the culture throughout the onboarding program not only incorporates a more inviting culture but can help them become acquainted with the personalities they’ll be involved with daily.
Onboarding the new employee on the company mission, vision and values; company history, and the way associates communicate with is an important strategy to introducing them to the business and social culture.
Managers/employers should encourage each new associate to establish interpersonal relationships and information networks within the firm where they become most comfortable.
While these five steps to including in onboarding staff are important, you should also endeavour to collect feedback to help with improving your firm’s onboarding program.
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