As the competition for quality employees increases and hiring needs escalate, there’s more pressure for banks to improve their onboarding process. The last thing a community bank wants to do is restart the time-consuming (and often expensive) hiring process because a new employee voluntarily leaves after just a few months.

It is critically important to talk with new employees soon after their first day to uncover potential or hidden issues. Don’t wait until their performance or behavior indicates a potential problem, and don’t wait for their official performance review. By then, it may be too late, and the employee could be halfway out the door.

Make it a point to meet with new hires within their first 30-60 days at the bank. Start by reminding them you’re glad they’re here and value their input. Ask some of the suggested questions listed below.

Splitting the questions up into short discussions with various people in the company may put the new employee at greater ease. Ultimately, your goal is to discover what they do/don’t like about the job, environment and/or bank and be sure their expectations are being met, which will enable you to nip any problems in the bud.

• Why do you think we selected you as an employee? (This question may surprise the new employee but, at the same time, boost their confidence.)
• What do you like about the job specifically and the bank overall? Can you compare the bank/job to our explanation during the hiring process and orientation? Is there anything you don’t understand about your job specifically or the bank?
• What’s been going well? What are the highlights of your experiences so far, and why?
• What hasn’t gone well, and are there any lowlights you have encountered?
• Concerning time, do you have enough, too much or too little to do your work?
• How do you see your job relating to the bank’s mission? (Hopefully, you’ve already presented the mission before hire and at orientation.)
• What do you need to learn to improve, and what can the bank do to help you become more successful in your job? (To keep from building false expectations, this question should only be asked if you are prepared to follow up with the request.)
• Which co-workers have been helpful since you arrived? (This helps the bank identify which employees can be influential to retaining the new hire.)
• Who do you talk to when you have questions about work, and do you feel comfortable asking?
• Does your supervisor clearly explain what the bank expects of you? When your supervisor offers constructive criticism or corrects your work, how do you feel about it?
• How well do you get along with co-workers? Have you had any uncomfortable situations or conflicts with supervisors, co-workers or customers?
• Do you believe your ideas are valued?

Finish the discussion by asking employees if they have any questions or suggestions on how to manage the job better. This overall approach helps to demonstrate the bank’s genuine interest in its employees and goes a long way towards increasing your employee’s retention.