Did you know that over 33% of employees report feeling undervalued at work? As the recruitment industry continues to evolve, the success of your agency relies heavily on the performance and productivity of your new recruiters. The early days of a recruiter's journey are crucial, as they lay the foundation for their future growth and impact within your agency.
With so many businesses struggling with employee retention these days, those first weeks at your agency are vital to determining whether your new hires will succeed or fail. That's why we've crafted this comprehensive guide to help you navigate this critical phase and set your recruits on a path to success. For most businesses, maintaining high employee engagement rates results in over 23% higher profitability and 43% lower turnover than those with low engagement rates!
But how do you actually ensure employee engagement? Well, we’ve got some thoughts… By implementing these strategies, you'll set the stage for a high-performing team that exceeds expectations, drives revenue, and propels your agency to new heights.
Hire Smarter
The very starting point of a successful onboarding journey is making sure you hire the right person – and as recruiters, I’m sure you already know that! But are you implementing the same strategies when it comes to hiring for your agency as when you’re hiring for a client?
A lot of people “fall into recruitment” – I certainly did! So, knowing what to look for in a new recruiter is really important. It obviously will differ depending on what level you are hiring for – but either way, aside from experience, you should also take note of other traits. For example, soft skills are a crucial part of being a great recruiter and are often overlooked. After all, being able to negotiate with clients and build honest relationships isn’t something you can evaluate from looking at someone’s resume! Making sure they will fit into the culture of your agency and the team they are working with is another thing to think about – did you know that unsupportive colleagues and leaders make up 26% and 34% of the reasons for employees leaving their roles? Having a tight-knit team who inspires each other makes it that much easier to drive results.
First Impressions
If you’ve been running your own agency for a while, you may have forgotten that being a newbie can be daunting! So, make sure your new recruiter gets a big warm welcome. Introduce them to the team so they can put faces to names and help them get their bearings a little. Small things like them being able to pop into the kitchen to make a cuppa or head to the loo without asking for directions will make them feel less like an awkward tourist and more like a local.
If you’re a remote working agency, having an informal “meet the team” video call can be a great way of allowing your new recruiter to find out a bit about their team, what they do, and how long different members have been with the company - but also what they like to do outside of work: Conversations they may not be able to have remotely as they would in the office to get to know people.
Encourage the team to make an effort to get to know their new colleague. New hires will be more confident and perform better if they feel comfortable in their new environment.
Teach Them How to Swim – The Right Way
Making sure that your new hires are clued up on everything happening in the agency is key to ensuring their quicker success. An introduction day with 50 sets of documents thrown their way won’t cut it anymore. You can assign them an onboarding buddy, who will be their go-to person for any questions in the first week - this can be helpful as your new recruiter is likely to have a few (thousand) questions, but sometimes asking them can be nerve-wracking, especially if they seem trivial. By ensuring they have a designated person to go to with all their worries, you’re saving them from making any mistakes or wrong choices because they didn’t want to ask a ‘silly’ question.
Having a Wiki is another easy way to ensure your employees know how to proceed in all situations. This is especially handy if you have a remote or hybrid working set-up where asking a quick question turns into having to wait for someone to become available on teams. With a well-set-out set of Wiki guides, you can help not only your new hires but also make any role shifts a lot smoother.
Set Clear Objectives
With over 48% of salespeople never making a single follow-up attempt, it’s not surprising that those businesses might be struggling. It’s crucial that you set clear expectations and goals with your new hires, so they know exactly what to work towards and how.
Your recruiters should always know exactly what’s expected of them. Make it clear from day one what their objectives are and what constitutes success in their role. Setting goals will make it easier for both you and the employee to determine their progress and see what areas they need help with, as well as make it clear about where they excel. A great way to get your new starter engaged with your overall growth plan is to ask them to set their very own quarterly goals based on individual KPIs.
Don’t expect your new employee to read minds: be transparent about what exactly you expect from them and let them know when they’ve made progress. Schedule a review for a couple of months after they start so you both know where you stand, and how the recruiter is dealing with and approaching their workload. Your new recruiter might not want to let on that they’re struggling, so setting goals will help to establish if their workload is manageable - and if not, what positive changes can be made.
Culture Is Everything
Having a great company culture is a key ingredient in making your recruiters want to work for your agency – and enjoy doing it.
Make sure your new recruiter knows all about the culture so that they can get involved in activities, big or small! This inclusivity is really key in setting up your new starter for success outside of the role itself and helping them find their place in your company.
Think about it – I think we all had a job at one point that we didn’t particularly enjoy but stayed because of the people we worked with. A strong culture sends a powerful message—it lets your new recruiter know that they haven’t just joined any old company! It's the sense of belonging, the shared values, and the camaraderie that make all the difference. When new recruits feel that connection, they're more motivated, more engaged, and more likely to stick around for the long haul. So, invest in your culture, nurture it like a delicate plant, and watch as new hires thrive in an environment that feels like home.
To learn how to build a full strategy for new hires' success, read our eBook below!
