How do we understand a new employee’s needs, work style, and expectations to introduce them smoothly to our organization? The answer comes in the entry interview, a relatively new onboarding stage. If you want to find out when to carry it out, what benefits it can bring to your company, and – above all – what questions are worth asking in such an HR survey, you’ve come to the right place on the web.
What Is an Employee Entry Interview?
It is no coincidence that the exit interview is one of the most popular HR studies. It is puzzling, however, that we are so eager to ask employees for their opinions when they leave and rarely want to listen to their voices when they start cooperating with our organization. After all, every company values honest and valuable feedback, right?
Translating the employee-employer relationship into customer experience, it is a bit like we concentrate all our efforts on collecting information about what annoys or pleases the client in our process (offer) post factum, forgetting that it is worth asking in advance about the needs of buyers to respond to market requirements fully.
In the case of CX, we know that we can get equally valuable feedback at the beginning and end of the customer journey (as well as at several other essential touchpoints). The growing popularity of the employee entry interview shows that we are noticing a similar trend in HR surveys.
Click on the picture to see survey template:
Employee Entry Interview Definition
Let’s begin perversely by explaining what an entry interview is not.
First of all, such an employee interview is not a stage of recruitment but rather “a next interview.” You already have your ideal candidate, and you introduce them to work in the organization. Secondly, an entry interview is also not a candidate experience survey. Why? Even for methodological reasons. The hiring survey is for all job candidates (employed and rejected).
In the employee entry interview, we do not ask about the compliance of the job description with reality, the attitude of the hiring manager, the candidate’s experience in the same position, or what he values most and least in his current job. The entry interview is the perfect moment to get to know the new hired person better.
An entry interview is a source of invaluable knowledge that will not only enrich a well-run onboarding process but will also translate into a better adaptation of a new employee in the company.
What Is the Best Moment for an Entry Interview?
The sooner after hiring, the better.
A few months after starting the job, it may be too late. If a buddy institution exists in your company, i.e., a mentor for new employees, wait a few days and then invite the employee for an interview. Preferably – with a direct manager.
Prepare both parties for the fact that this is a dialogue held in a friendly atmosphere. The information obtained will allow the manager to make better decisions in managing the team and delegating tasks and the employee to get used to the new workplace.
Online survey software can be a helpful tool in conducting entry interviews.
A questionnaire prepared with the help of an HR specialist will allow the manager to better prepare for the meeting. You can also send the survey to the employee in advance, thanks to which they will have time to answer calmly.
How Does an Entry Interview Help with Onboarding?
Let’s focus on the benefits of interviewing newcomers during onboarding for the entire company and new employees.
What should you talk about with an employee you just recruited?
Keep in mind that circumstances have changed. It is no longer a stressful situation for the candidate and the recruiter. No one probes the resume and does not check the professional background of the person applying for the open position or their salary expectations. You do not think whether the person sitting opposite you will be the right fit for the company, and if so, whether they will agree to provide services and sign the contract.
It’s all behind you now.
It’s time for a friendly conversation. Ask the right though specific questions to understand better the candidate’s strengths and communication skills and how to use their knowledge and superpowers to benefit the most as an organization, team, and colleagues.
Find Out about All Details of the Recruitment Process
Employee Recruitment surveys are becoming more and more popular – this is a simple tool that allows you to get to know opinions on the interview process.
Find Out about All Details of the Recruitment Process
Employee Recruitment surveys are becoming more and more popular – this is a simple tool that allows you to get to know opinions on the interview process.
All templates
Why Is Onboarding Vital for Your Business?
We already know that the entry interview is still a rare but essential part of onboarding. If you are wondering whether it is worth implementing the whole process in your company, consider the following reasons:
1. According to the Wynhurst Group research, there is a 22% turnover of employees during the first 45 days of employment.
2. Even 50% of new hires quit during the first four months of work.
3. Up to 91% of employees stay in the company longer when they participate in successful onboarding at the beginning of their work.
4. As presented by Zippia, the professional onboarding process improves productivity of new personel by 70%.
5. The same source highlights that it costs about 1500 USD to hire a new employee. The cost of re-recruitment for the same position increases if we lose an employee once employed.
An entry interview is a source of invaluable knowledge that will not only enrich a well-run onboarding process but will also translate into a better adaptation of a new employee in the company.
All these questions, although so different, are like a bridge between you and the new employee. The sooner you build it and get to know the other person, the better you will establish relationships, translating into efficiency at work and a better atmosphere.
Employee Entry Interview – What Questions to Ask?
Every company has its own culture.
Some are formal, like royal family members’ outfits. Others are closer to the atmosphere of a garage band. Therefore, finding one entry interview template that will work in every organization is difficult.
When preparing questions worth asking in such an HR survey, we have divided them into several categories. We hope this division will allow you to design an optimal questionnaire for your needs.
Do the following questions sound familiar to you?
In many companies, they may appear during recruitment. However, not every recruiter asks them. As you already know, circumstances change after employment, and thus, the answers may be slightly different.
Working Conditions
1. Do you prefer to work remotely, in the office, or a hybrid model?
2. To be more productive, do you need: specific working hours, lists of tasks to do, deadlines, or other motivation factors?
3. What helps you manage your time and reduce stress at work?
4. How do you imagine the biggest challenges related to your job?
Employee Management
1. Do you prefer to work independently or on a group project?
2. What kind of feedback do you find the most useful and constructive?
3. What kind of management suits you the most?
4. What helped you successfully onboard in your previous jobs?
Learning and Career Goals
1. How can our company help you achieve your career goals?
2. What type of training do you find most useful and effective?
3. Please describe the training that would help you develop in your role
4. How do you absorb new information best?
Humor and Communication Skills
1. Which literary character are you at work and why?
2. If you were a pizza, what three ingredients would be on it?
3. How do you like to spend your free time?
4. What do you choose: a company dinner at a Michelin-star restaurant or a parachute jump?
All these questions, although so different, are like a bridge between you and the new employee. The sooner you build it and get to know the other person, the better you will establish relationships, translating into efficiency at work and a better atmosphere.
New Hire First Interview – Sum Up
As a part of the entire process, the benefits of conducting an entry interview are similar to those offered by onboarding. Here’s what they may provide to your business:
Entry Interview and Onboarding Process Values
1. Optimizing the onboarding of new employees
2. Faster adaptation & higher employee efficiency
3. Lower costs of the recruitment process
4. Constant monitoring of the onboarding process
How Survey Software May Help Achieve Your Goals?
There is no perfect way to get an entry interview.
For one company, it will be a casual conversation over coffee between the new hire and the manager. For another, a meeting in a conference room with the participation of a representative of the HR department. For another – an online questionnaire completed by the employee a week after hiring.
We do not hide that we provide software for conducting HR surveys. Is our method the best possible? We cannot guarantee it, but we are confident it can help you conduct professional entry interviews and many other employee surveys.
- Great-looking questionnaires that are easy to prepare
- Automatic sending of surveys to your employees
- Instant access to all of the results for the HR team and managers
- Live reports and intuitive tools to observe and analyze trends
And a lot more. If that’s something for you…
