Hiring is expensive– there’s little argument about this. And regardless of your industry, bringing on new staff can mean temporarily slowed team productivity and a general investment in time and training resources that will (ideally) pay off once the new employee is up and running. But the longer this process drags on, the deeper the investment grows, and the more expensive the transition process becomes.

So what steps can you take to streamline the onboarding process and move a first time hire from bumbling newbie to experienced pro? In other words, from drain to asset? Here are a few considerations to keep in mind.

1. Train fast…but more important, train well. Great carpenters measure twice so they only have to cut once. And great managers train new employees extensively, patiently, and effectively the first time so they don’t have to repeat the same lectures or allow the process to drag on for months. Develop a hiring strategy that will fill your workplace with quick students, but remember: anyone can be a great student if they’re paired with the right teacher.

2. Hire and train in bulk whenever you can. If your business model makes this possible, hire only a few times a year and hire in waves. Bring on whole teams of employees at the same time and then standardize the training and onboarding process so it can be applied to multiple new employees at once. Even if ten new employees are stepping into ten different jobs, these employees can still attend orientation and company-wide training sessions at the same time.

3. Choose your trainers carefully. Don’t just assume that your best producer will also be your strongest trainer. Training is a skill set unto itself, and if you think your top producer will do the best job, think twice. You may just end up pulling this person off the line and slowing group productivity while a weaker producer might have made a more effective trainer.

4. Remember that culture matters. New employees learn and acclimate faster when they fit in well with your existing culture. The best way to train great employees is by hiring great employees (and cultural matches) in the first place.

For more information on onboarding, training and streamlining your hiring process, reach out to the Texas staffing pros at Expert.