The 30-Day Review: Questions to Ask Your New Hire

Leadership and management teams in nursing homes and senior living facilities understand that retaining their new, permanent hires—whether they be nurses, dietary managers, the Wellness Director, the Director of Nursing, or the maintenance staff—is paramount to the success of their organization. Robust onboarding and effective communication are keys to achieving a positive employee retention rate. In fact, research has shown that 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experience great onboarding.

Too often, though, this “great onboarding” and “effective communication” tend to lessen before the recruits feel they’ve been sufficiently “onboarded.” And therein lies the problem. While the new guy or gal continues to need nurturing and a bit of focused attention, it’s back to business as usual for the management team as they move on to the next new hire, the upcoming project deadline, or the quarter’s end/year’s end reports.

Did you know that 20% of turnover happens within the first 45 days of employment? Don’t ignore this troubling fact. One way to combat this discouraging statistic is with a 30-day review. Set aside a check-in time to see how the employee is settling into the position and the company. This pre-arranged time, noted from the new hire’s first day on the job, can uncover whether John or Jane is receiving the needed support to be successful. Via specific questions to find challenges and areas of concern, a 30-day review can address any number of issues while there’s still time to remedy the situation. The goal of this routine yet critical appointment? To fix anything interfering with an employee’s acclimation process and determine how best to maintain the type of engagement that will result in a long-term employee/employer relationship.

Questions that explore the recruits’ experiences up to this point can elicit enlightening answers. Choose inquiries that explore the employee’s experiences, such as—

• Is this job what you expected it to be?
• Are you currently feeling challenged by your role? Are you becoming bored?
• Do you feel you’ve received access to the information, tools, and resources you need to complete your responsibilities?
• Have there been any roadblocks or challenges with performing your duties? If yes, what?
• Are there any specific tools or training sessions that you think would help you be more successful?
• Have you felt welcomed by your new team?
  
  

Encourage a forward-looking approach by asking questions about the future, goals, and aspirations.

• Do you feel your position allows for a positive work-life balance now? If so, do you see that balance continuing in the days ahead?
• What are your goals for the next 60, 90, 120 days?
• How can we help you in the future?
• Do you have any specific feedback for us?

You have spent the time and money to hire the very best employees for your organization. It is your responsibility to communicate openly with them, answer their questions, and address any issues and concerns before they result in a costly turnover.