In this day and age, finding the right employees comes with more difficulties than ever.
Even after finding an ideal candidate, once on the job, recent studies indicate that workers’ compensation claims by first-year employees continue to rise. While many factors play into that, the three below often top the list.
1. Insufficient training
Regardless of the business, work needs to get done. Even if a new hire has related work experience, every job has its own nuances. Depending on the job, it may come certain regulations or protocols to minimize risk. Getting used to a new environment also takes time. If a new hire has not gone through proper training, they may easily take a shortcut that may lead to an injury.
2. Lack of awareness
Even if an employee receives adequate training, a person’s true abilities come out while on the job. For people who work in high-risk fields, such as construction, reinforcing awareness does not always equate to the new hire truly understanding the importance of it. A new employee may spend more time focusing on doing the job right than ensuring they take the necessary safety precautions to avoid injuries.
3. Overeagerness to complete tasks
While you want to hire enthusiastic people with an excellent work ethic, you also want to ensure that they take their time to truly acclimate to the job. Some new hires may have a seemingly positive zeal to prove their worth and work up the ranks. Unfortunately, that may mean not asking questions to ensure they actually complete the job right. When the work involves equipment or heavy lifting, overestimating one’s abilities may have dire consequences.
Although accidents happen, dedicating time to training employees, tracking injury data and communicating may turn recent trends around.