New starters: getting them up and running with your IT
Hiring new employees is always a positive sign for a growing business, but while expansion is exciting, it doesn't come without its headaches.
While HR departments will know all too well how stressful it can be to make sure they're hiring the right person, IT administrators often also find themselves facing difficulties with getting new starters on board - even if their role is sometimes overlooked.
After all, without the right level of access to key technologies, applications and services, they will be unable to perform their job effectively. And it's not just for productivity reasons that IT has a role to play - they also need to make sure that the new employee is using their systems responsibly and not exposing the business to problems such as security breaches or data loss.
Therefore, it's important that IT administrators understand what to do when new starters are getting set up. Read on to learn our top tips and best practices for technology leaders when it comes to this process, and find out what key questions you need to be asking in order to make things run smoothly.
Who's responsible for their details?
One common irritant for many IT admins is to get into work on Monday morning only to find several emails - from HR, from line managers and so on - alerting them that they have a new starter that day. Apart from the prospect of having to deal with multiple people chasing them to set up email accounts, login details and even hardware, having to do so with such short notice is far from ideal. for instance, if there's a need to wipe an existing hard drive of data before a PC is redeployed to the new user, this will require time.
Therefore, it's up to IT admins to set out in advance what they expect from the rest of the organisation regarding new starters. They need to communicate who will be responsible for informing them, and spell out exactly what information will be required, to avoid lengthy back-and-forths that cause further delays.
What accounts do they need?
A key part of this information will be what accounts they need to be set up with. While email is a given and company-wide tools such as social networking software and intranet access are a must, you need to establish exactly what else they will need to use.
For example, will they need access to CRM or ERP tools containing potentially sensitive customer information? You don't want to waste time setting up accounts for software the new starter will not use, especially it may end up giving them access to details they should not be able to access. On the other hand, not getting them set up with the right accounts early on can badly hit productivity in the crucial induction stage.
Do they have the right permissions?
Similarly, once it has been established what tools a new starter will need for their role, the level of access required will also need to be defined. Giving a new starter full access to all data before they have even got their feet under the desk isn't a good idea, as it opens up the company to potential problems.
Whether it's a new starter's curiosity getting the better of them as they look into sensitive information, or a user unfamiliar with the technology accidentally deleting key records, it's best to make sure they aren't able to do too much damage.
What education do they need?
Making sure new employees understand not only the technology they'll be using but the policies they will have to follow, should be made a key part of any induction process. For instance, if they want to use a personally-owned mobile device to access work documents, you need to be clear about what platforms and applications they may use, and what information is forbidden to be taken outside the company.
It's a good idea to make sure that all technology policies and responsibilities are posted clearly on the company intranet and the induction portal has links to this. Following up on this towards the end of their initiation is also essential to ensure the message has been received.
How can you get them engaged with the company?
For any business, the success of their hiring process will be measured by how quickly new hires can get up to speed with the company culture and engaged with what they're doing. A lot of this will be the responsibility of the employee's department and direct manager, but IT admins can still help out with this.
An effective IT portal for new hires can make a huge difference, from sending personalised welcome messages to getting them on board with enterprise social networks. By making it easy for them to get involved and embrace their new job fully, IT admins can ensure the process goes smoothly - and that they are not compromising the safety of key data.
