SelectOne Blog

A highly enthusiastic and motivated sales team can mean the difference between a company that just gets by and a company that’s truly flourishing. So while good leaders are always thinking about how to encourage employees to do their best, it makes sense to give extra consideration to those on whose personal drive so much success depends.

Sales teams can often feel like their own little island, with a culture unique to themselves. This can be quite a positive thing at times; after all, it doesn’t make sense to have a sales team that functions in the same way as a team of accountants or maintenance technicians.

Commissions are a method used by many companies to incentivize their salespeople, and for good reason. Commissions help salespeople to feel ownership over their own careers and success, and allow you to reward those who do exceptionally well without destroying your payroll budget in the process.

Starting a formal mentorship program might seem like an awful lot of hassle for something that is typically handled off the cuff. After all, aren’t your new employees already getting an orientation and training? If they need help, they’ll ask, right?

While Michael Phelps’ freestyle is powerful, it’s his dolphin kick right after pushing off the wall that gives him his record-breaking edge. Giving a presentation? You have the first eight seconds to grab your audience’s attention. Infants who are born with stunted growth can grow to be as healthy and functioning as their peers when provided with good nutrition and stimulation in the first two years of life.

Workplace culture develops organically, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put any thought into it. Just as you make decisions about your dress code, your benefits, and your internal branding based on your organization’s culture, it’s important that your onboarding process reflects this culture as well.

Goals are a critical part of keeping employees on track and happy, but they’re especially important when you’re dealing with someone who is brand new in their role. Is there a difference between how you set goals for new employees and how you go through the same process for someone more established?

Let’s be honest: nobody gets dressed for their first day at a new job and thinks “Gosh, I’m so excited to get in there and fill out all that paperwork!” Still, when the other option is being unprepared for your new employee and leaving them with a brochure while you dig around through your files for copies of everything you need, thinking about the necessary forms in advance is vital.

Here’s a rundown on the forms you’ll want for your new hire.

Nobody likes to be the new kid at school. In seventh grade, it might take months before you managed to feel comfortable in the classroom and the cafeteria, much less at the Fall Fun Dance. But in the workplace, you can’t wait months for people to stop feeling on edge.

So you’re feeling pretty pleased with yourself because you’ve just hired a superstar.

Now what?

These initial days are so key in determining a new employee’s experience as part of your organization. Don’t let bad onboarding stop a great employee from doing great work.