People all over Australia will have now returned from their summer holidays, when they took time off to spend with their friends and family.
Unsurprisingly, as employees return to work in January, they will need to get straight back into their professional mindset – and after such a long break, that can be difficult to do.
Entry-level employees are like all others in the fact that a relaxed holiday period can make it difficult to adjust as they re-enter the workforce.
At Apprenticeship Central, we have made it simple to hire an apprentice or trainee through our streamlined registration process and powerful search tools. Once you have found an apprentice or trainee, you will want to make sure they start the new year in the best possible way.
Here are three ways to make sure your apprenticeship or traineeship program are starting the new year with a bang:
Have a post-New Year run down
Make sure your apprentices or trainees know what their tasks are as they return to work. Your employees will not appreciate having to stand around wondering what to do in their first week back, and neither will you.
Consider creating a timetable to ensure they continue at the high standard this year at which they finished the last.
Set high targets for the first week
After a week of food and relaxation, workers can be forgiven for being a little slow on the uptake. To help them shake off the rust, set them particularly high weekly targets.
If there is a job that needs finishing, challenge them to do it in a specific timeframe. This will aid them in getting out of the holiday mentality and into a professional one.
Consider a half day at work
On the other hand, employees can benefit from being eased back into a working environment. You may find productivity difficult to get going at the start of the year, so a different approach could work.
A half working day can help employees adapt to a full working allocation while lowering the risk of burnout. If first-day tasks are mentally or physically taxing, this can help them get back into the swing of things.
You will know your employees best and what method will work for them. Taking a little initiative can make sure 2015 starts in the best possible way.
