The lady with the hots for me

An email has flooded in to the barney@taxassist.co.uk inbox.


Worryingly it seems as though the very first communication could be my own stalker... the email starts with the words: ‘Barney, how did you know I have the hots for you?’

Well, it stands to reason, doesn’t it? Everyone has the hots for me and who can blame them? I certainly can’t blame Fiona Callan from Fife!

Leaving aside my new admirer’s obvious and entirely understandable infatuation with me, she also had some excellent ideas about induction. If you want to know why she was first expressing undying love for me and then explaining what she does for new members of staff on their induction, you need to read my previous blog.

Having said that, what she does is brilliant.

Induction starts well before the new team member’s first day at work. They get sent a voucher so they can go and buy some of the product their new employer sells. Accompanying the vouchers is a detailed workbook explaining the brand and what they should be experiencing during their purchase.

This theme is continued when they actually join the business and the whole process is cohesive and joined up.

Admittedly, Fiona does work for a larger organisation, but that needn’t matter. It’s easy to make a new employee feel welcome, valued and part of the team from day one. In turn, this will make them more efficient, motivated and productive... quicker.

All you need to do is have some basic things in place. Things like an email address before they arrive (if that’s what they need), a workstation, a locker... having all these things ready makes it seems as though you are ready for your new employee, rather than their arrival being a big surprise and having to scramble to take up the slack.

The other thing you should do is set aside time for them on day one, so you can show them the ropes (and diodes and electrodes if that floats your boat). Having a plan for their first day, week and, probably, month really will work wonders for your new member of staff.

Unlike me, of course, who had to wait for nearly a year before I got my email address. I think it was a bit harsh, though, to suggest I take my humans to task for not making me feel like the bees knees. (I would usually talk about the dogs’ doodahs at this point, but you never know who might be reading.)

Having said that, I think they have learned their lesson... two new members of staff coming over the next couple of weeks and plans a afoot already for their arrival.

By the way, if you have a question about business, or a comment to make you can email me at barney@taxassist.co.uk. I’ll answer every email I receive in the blog... from a doggy point of view, of course!