“The moment you meet a stranger, both of your brains are making thousands of computations at lightening speed to make major decision about one another,” according to an article in Forbes. This only take seven seconds. It only takes seven seconds to make a first impression.
In the onboarding process for new employees, the first seven seconds of training is crucial. In those seven seconds you have a chance to convey to the trainee the most important part of your organization’s culture.
Onboarding is a process that allows new hires to get adjusted to the social and performance aspects of their work environment. With onboarding, new hires learn the ins and outs of the organization quickly, yet thoroughly. This allows them to function effectively within your organization. “Employees get about 90 days to prove themselves in a new job…the bottom line is the faster new hires feel welcome and prepared for their jobs, the faster they will be able to successfully contribute to the firm’s mission,” according to Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
The 4C’s of Onboarding
I am sure all of you have heard of the “4C’s of Onboarding” – Connection, Culture, Clarification, Compliance – with Connection as the highest priority and Compliance as the lowest. Introducing a new employee to the culture, structure and systems of your work place is a process. Ensuring to advocate and emphasize the most essential “C” or what should be prioritized, according to the specific industry of your organization, makes for a streamlined and successful onboarding experience.
In the healthcare industry – it is compliance. Organizations should live and breath compliance.
Compliance & Onboarding
In the healthcare industry, compliance needs to be a top priority and one good way to implement compliance as top of mind is during the onboarding process. One of the core components of a compliance program is training.
But that’s not all. New hires can easily get bogged down with all the information and policies thrown at them during the onboarding process. To really embed the importance of compliance, you might want consider revisiting the information a month later after they’ve settled in. Ask specific questions – where would they go if something went wrong? How would they report a compliance issue? It is not enough to just give policy procedures. You must explain healthcare fraud and abuse to show how compliance plays a role in the industry.
If you integrate compliance into the company culture right off the bat, you’re showing new hires the value you place on it. On the contrary, if compliance training is the last item on the checklist, then the message you send out is that compliance is an afterthought.
Compliance training requires a balanced approach. All across the company, compliance should be top of mind and embedded in the Code of Conduct along with the compliance plan. If new hires see compliance as part of the daily vernacular see management as leaders of that culture, then a compliant culture is proven to be a priority.
Make it Fun!
Compliance can be dull, scary and intimidating so remember to make it light and to have fun with it! Here’s a little something you can use for your next onboarding venture: Dancing Compliance Babies.
At the end of the day, effective onboarding allows the new hire to realize the importance of compliance and there will be no retribution if they question something. They don’t have to be experts by any means. Showing how compliance fits into the company culture and the importance of implementing the company’s compliance plan should be the first step of onboarding. All you need to get across is your company takes compliance seriously and so should they. Then your company and employees will be well on their way to creating a compliant culture.
Written by Michael Rosen, ESQ
ProviderTrust Co-Founder, mrosen@providertrust.com
Michael brings over 20 years of experience founding and leading risk mitigation businesses, receiving numerous accolades such as: Inc Magazine’s Inc 500 Award and Nashville Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year
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