Did you know that over 30 percent of people have quit a job before being there six months?

Some of the most common reasons cited include the following:

• The job description was different from what the actual work entailed.

• The new hire did not receive enough training.

• The job environment was in no way enjoyable or rewarding.

• There was no one to go to with questions or concerns.

Hiring a new person for your team is an investment of time, money and effort. How you bring that new hire on board plays a critical part in whether that person will become a happy, contributing employee or be gone in 6 months. Follow-up is critical for new hire success.

The fact is that many employers fail to follow up with new hires. They think the new person will come forward with any questions or concerns. If the employer doesn’t hear anything, the assumption is the new hire is doing fine. In fact, the new hire may already be looking for a new job.

Why two weeks is critical?

The first couple of weeks after a new person comes on board involves introducing that person to the team and getting him or her familiar with what is going on and the tasks assigned. By the end of the second week, the new hire should be somewhat familiar with day-to-day activities and the work environment. It is a critical time to follow-up with that new person.

Here are some questions to ask the new hire at the two-week follow-up:

• What do you think about your new job?

• What do you think about the organization?

• What has been going well?

• What has not been going well?

• Do you have enough time to do your work?

• Do you need any additional training to perform your job?

• What don’t you understand about the job or the organization?

• Is there anything you were told about the organization during the hiring process that ended up not being true?

• Which co-workers have helped you most during the past couple of weeks?

• Did your supervisor explain what is expected of you?

• How well do you get along with your co-workers?

The goal is to find out if there are any dissatisfaction or problems emerging. How you address those concerns will be a turning point in whether that new hire is there in 6 months or not.