How to Train Up New Recruits When You’re Time Poor
April 12, 2022
Small businesses make up more than 80% of Australian businesses and it’s this group that struggles the most to find the time to train up new hires. As a result, they often only hire people with enough experience to hit the ground running in a new role.
In an already highly competitive, candidate-short employment market, this narrows down the talent pool even further.
What can time-poor employers do to make training new recruits easier and expand their range of candidates?
- Create a list of actions
To establish what a new hire needs to be taught, create a list of exactly what they are required to do day-to-day and week-to-week in their role.
- Nominate team members
Spread the work between existing team members. Think about which existing staff members are suitable to train any of the items on the list. Even if your team is only 3 or 4 people, explore which items can be allocated to others to help get the new hire up trained. - Establish quick wins
What are the quick wins that could get a new hire up and running? Are there any repetitious and time-consuming tasks that they could be shown, with a plan to expand on those later? For example, answering phones or setting up a file.
- Manage expectations
To ensure your new recruit succeeds in their role, it is important to outline the training plan when they start. That way they will understand what is expected of them upfront.
- Check in regularly
In most small offices, new employees learn a lot by absorption. When that is the case make sure that you are checking in with the person to see where there may be gaps.
- Allocate small blocks of time
It is much more effective to put aside 1-2 hours per day for training, than trying to achieve large blocks of training time. It just isn’t manageable for most small business teams. Make sure you have some tasks that new recruits can go on with in the meantime.
Learn how to identify and manage psychosocial hazards, to support employee wellbeing, boost performance, and create a healthier, safer work culture.
In a recent episode of The Property Edge live market update, we unpacked what’s happening in the South Australian property job market for employers and job seekers.
We're seeing an increase in job seekers who say they want a new job, but stall when it comes to being flexible, responsive, or open to exploring opportunities.
In a recent episode of The Property Edge, we gained some first-hand insights into what makes recruitment in the property sector so uniquely challenging in South Australia in 2025.
Your questions in an interview say as much about you as your answers. Edge's Mary-Jane Massicci shares what types of questions can get noticed by hiring managers.
Backed by insights from our 2025 Employment and Salary Trends Report, we unpack the current salary landscape across property and real estate roles in SA.
Edge Recruitment has once again been named Best Recruitment Agency in Real Estate and Property in SA, at the 2025 Sourcr Awards – for the fourth consecutive year!
What matters more — qualifications or experience? We explore the balance between these two factors and what today’s property job market in SA really demands.
A new report reveals a growing disconnect between what employers think their staff want—and what employees actually value when it comes to workplace benefits.
For employers and candidates, the FY25 hiring landscape presents a mix of opportunity and challenge — and demand is rising across the industry.
