Page 10 - New England Condominium January 2019

10 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM - JANUARY 2019 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM Welcome Aboard Acclimating New Association Staff Members BY MIKE ODENTHAL MANAGEMENT ISTOCKPHOTO.COM L ittle in life is more nerve-wracking several management professionals with very than that first day on a new job: ‘Are different perspectives to get their wisdom you prepared to do this?’ ‘Are you even on how best to orient the new person on the qualified to do this?’ ‘Is your shirt buttoned job; how to deal with staff that management correctly?’ ‘It is, right?’ ‘Why does it look itself inherits when taking on a new client wrong?’ ‘Should you change your shirt?’ All of these questions and more – along no formal staff to speak of. Here’s what they with all the actual job-related stuff–are likely had to say: running through the brand-new employ- ee’s mind, and can make for a whole lot of anxiety. But it doesn’t have to be this way. An employer – including a board or prop- erty manager – can do a lot to mitigate an employee’s jitters and set him or her up member for long-term success is to con- for success. Whether this means providing stantly train them in – and to reinforce – the new hires a thorough-but-concise employee rules. I have a written job description for manual, a probationary period, a mentor, or each position that I staff, and an employee a veteran employee that the new staffer can handbook for each of my buildings. (None of shadow varies from job to job, employer to my employees are union laborers, FYI.) I like employer, and even employee to employee to take a hands-on approach with each new (everyone learns differently!). Regardless, it's hire in order to get them acquainted with the in the best interest of everyone involved for building and the unit owners.” employees to feel capable and supported as they keep your building or association run- ning smoothly. This is especially important in a commu- nity association setting where a staffer is like- ly to be confronted by a parade of unfamiliar homes with a clubhouse; indoor and out- faces, many of whom the employee may be door pools; tennis courts; bocce ball courts; accountable to in some capacity. The faster garden plots; a three-hole golf course; and and more effective a manager or a board can three large ponds. Four full-time staff mem- introduce the employee to the people and bers oversee all of this. I’m the community challenges that he or she will encounter, the manager, and then we have a lifestyle direc- better for everybody involved. New England Condominium spoke with presentations at the clubhouse, along with community; and what to do when there is Employee Orientation Joe Urbanczyk, a property manager with Fairwood Management in East Amherst, New York: “The best way to position a new staff Daphne Morton, a licensed community as- sociation manager at Carillon Club in Naper- ville, Illinois: “Our HOA, Carillon Club, is a large gated community in Naperville that consists of 778 tor who plans all of the trips, outings and