It’s a good idea to periodically review your hiring, on-boarding, training and performance evaluation process to assess how well you are doing in these areas.
During a recent NationaLease workshop, Elicia Torres, senior manager of administration at Velocity Truck Rental and Leasing, a NationaLease member, provided attendees with a list of key questions they should be asking when evaluating their human resource practices. The goal of this review is to make sure you are maximizing your recruiting and retention efforts.
When evaluating your hiring practices ask these questions:
- Who prepares your job descriptions?
- What is your hiring process?
- Who is involved in the hiring process?
- Who makes the final hiring decision?
- How long does the hiring process take?
Questions to ask about new hire onboarding and orientation include:
- Who is responsible for onboarding?
- What is included in your onboarding process?
- How long does the new hire training period last?
- Do you have a standard schedule that you use for all new hires?
Once the new hire initial period is over, what happens? Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you have mentors for new hires? If so, who are they?
- Do you have regular evaluation intervals during the first year of employment? If so, when do they occur and who conducts them?
- Do you use a standard review template?
Throughout the employee’s tenure how do you evaluate employee performance? Ask yourself these questions:
- Who handles disciplinary actions or performance improvement plans?
- Do you require annual evaluations? Are they monitored and tracked?
- Do you have a template for performance reviews?
Make sure to also evaluate your training programs by asking yourself these questions:
- What training programs do you currently have in place?
- What systems/processes do you have in place for employee development?
You also need to look at the role of your managers and supervisors. Ask these questions:
- How much do you empower your supervisors?
- What are they allowed to do and what activities stay with the HR department?
- What resources, tools or materials do you provide managers to help them manage more effectively?
- What challenges do your managers and supervisors face?
- In what areas do they need the most improvement?
Once you have answered all these questions, you will be able to spot your strengths and weaknesses in the recruiting, hiring, on-boarding and retention process. Armed with this knowledge, adjust your policies and practices so you can capitalize on your strengths and eliminate your weaknesses.
