New Hire Tips Straight from the Source!
I’m the Company Manager for Fight or Flight Productions and Odd-o-Ts’ Entertainment. What does that mean? That means, if you get hired, you’ll be going through me. I process all New Hires, send them their paperwork, get them through drug testing and background checks, get them set up in our system so we can pay them, and generally make sure they’re ready to go to work.
It’s not always easy, however, to get New Hires through the New Hire Process, and here are a few tips to help make my job (and anyone doing a similar job elsewhere) easier:
1) What’s that say??? The process starts before you even get hired. When you show up at your audition and fill out your audition form, make sure your information is legible and clear. If we can’t read your contact information, it makes it difficult for us to contact you and offer you a job (which is your ultimate goal, right?). This is also usually where we’ll get our initial information to start you through the New Hire process. If we’ve asked you to write it down, then it means it’s information we want to be able to read. Make it readable. Chicken scratch – not helpful.
2) Where’d that file go??? If you’re sending a headshot or resume to a potential employer, include your name as part of the file attachment. We often get file attachments labeled with generic names, e.g. “photo.jpg” or “resume.pdf.” If we were to just save them as is, these files are just going to get lost in our system. However, “John Doe Headshot.jpg” and “John Doe Resume.pdf,” will be much easier to find when we want to review your undoubtedly ideal credentials and breathtaking picture.
3) You’ve been hired! Yay! Now comes the pages and pages of paperwork to get you set up in the system. Online digital document services have made the paperwork process so much easier, but they also encourage people to just skip to the required fields and miss important details. Some fields aren’t required, but may still apply to you, so make sure you review the documents in their entirety so you don’t miss anything.
And read carefully through everything to make sure you are answering the questions correctly. I can’t tell you how many times our form that asks for “County” has been answered with “United States.” That’s your “Country” - no “r” in “County.” Pay attention to the details. You’re already making an impression on us when we review your paperwork. Make it a good impression.
4) Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We’re going to bombard you with a lot of instructions and forms and questions at the beginning to get you ready to work. If there’s anything you’re unsure of, just ask. It’s easier to clear up confusion before you fall into the New Hire abyss then to try to fix mistakes when you’ve taken a wrong step.
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