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Picture this: you’ve only been open for an hour, and the store’s already gone from “busy” to “chaotic” (which is no surprise – your busy season’s in full swing). Lines are getting longer, customers are getting grumbly, and your crew’s starting to sweat.
Your new hire, Jaxon – starting in a role you would have filled weeks ago if recruiting hadn’t felt so complicated – looks lost. There was no time to walk him through the franchise’s ins and outs, you can’t track down the Employee Handbook he needs to get up to speed on the rules, and you’re suddenly realizing that his paperwork may have inadvertently ended up in the shredder…
Jaxon tries his best to pitch in and help out, but without the proper training, things quickly go sideways. He mistakenly processes a few returns that fall outside of your policies, incurring a loss for the store; he doesn’t realize he needs to keep his key card on him, and ends up spending part of his shift locked in the stairwell; he finds out at the end of the day that he should have clocked in upon arrival, and will have to deal with sorting out today’s hours tomorrow.
Jaxon’s first day (and first impression of his new job): not the best. Your day wasn’t so great either! And when you’re part of a high-turnover industry, the last thing you need is for Jaxon to bail and for you to have to start from scratch… again.
Let’s make things better!
The good news: it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are three ways this day could have looked a whole lot better with Payworks:
- Easier, faster recruitment helps you staff up before you’re in panic mode.
If you’d found Jaxon even a few weeks earlier, everything that happened afterwards likely would have run a whole lot smoother because you would have had time to do it right!
With Payworks’ Applicant Tracking solution, including customizable workflows and templates to remind you exactly what needs to be completed, it can be simpler than ever to get job postings up and running in all the right places. And once applications start filtering in, you can use Applicant Tracking to help with scheduling interviews and centralizing communication between all the folks engaged in the hiring decision, eliminating some time-consuming back-and-forth.
2. Hiring workflows and templates that automatically flow applicant data into a digital HR system help keep details from being lost or forgotten.
In the relief of connecting with a star like Jaxon and him signing on to join your crew, it could be all too easy to lose track of some of the information you gathered during the hiring process – especially if you have to manually input everything into a different HR system.
With secure digital storage and an integrated database like Payworks’ – where all data flows seamlessly between solutions like Applicant Tracking, Human Resources and Payroll and is available to the right people at the right time – you’re a lot less likely to be left scrambling (or dealing with any more unfortunate Shredder Incidents).
3. Welcoming, interactive onboarding makes the best first impression.
Much of Jaxon’s distress on his first day can be chalked up to feeling unprepared and adrift. Imagine how much more engaged he would have felt if he’d already had a chance to familiarize himself with the franchise’s policies and expectations and put his best foot forward, or if other members of the team had taken him under their wings?
With Payworks Human Resources, you can automate an on-brand welcome email which arrives in your new staffer’s inbox before they even start working, and which connects them to a configurable onboarding process to make sure all the T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted. Company policy documents can be shared via Self Service, with Read & Acknowledge and e-signature features that’ll give you the assurance and verification that your new employee is up to speed. You can even set up automatic notifications to let others know when someone new has been hired so that they can reach out and lend a helping hand.
And if you’re not too sure where to start, Payworks HR Advisory Services is a cost-effective way to access expert HR guidance without adding headcount to your own team! You’ll have pros on call you can walk you through onboarding best practices, help you develop checklists and policies, and fill in any gaps in your process that you might uncover along the way.
There… now doesn’t that sound like a much better first day for everyone?
Whether they’re connecting with customers, keeping the shelves stocked, or bringing in the sale that helps you hit your monthly target (woohoo!), every member of your team plays a critical role in helping your franchise business thrive. You can set up yourself and your valued staff for success by exploring a workforce management system that’s built to meet the unique needs of franchise teams and is backed by expert support. Explore the full suite here: https://www.payworks.ca/solutions/franchise.
