Employee onboarding is one of the most essential functions of your company’s human resources department. In a nutshell, this refers to introducing your employee to the company and vice versa, making it a big moment for the new hire and your company. Getting things right on the first day can make a significant difference in giving every new employee a good start.
There’s a lot to be done during that first day, and even the weeks prior, for employee onboarding to be successful. It’s about making the workplace culture known to the new employee and their expectations, duties, and rights. It goes a long way in keeping employee retention rates high while improving the overall satisfaction of everyone in the company.
This article will break down everything you need to know about employee onboarding so that you can shower them with the best welcome to your workplace.
Put Together A Welcome Pack
It may seem a little bit extra, but it goes a long way to welcome the new employees into a desk or workstation that looks ready for them. A clean and empty workstation is the bare minimum, but you can do better by offering a welcome pack.
Think of this as a gift basket or package to make their first day more pleasant. Remember, they’re already nervous as it is. Even a simple basket of snacks, pens, and a water tumbler can help ease those emotions and break the ice.
Consider the employee’s specific responsibilities when putting together a welcome pack. For example, a work planner will be well-appreciated if the new employee has many administrative tasks. If they’re doing a lot of computer work, nice headphones do the trick. There are many fun ways to welcome new employees virtually and physically, so it’s up to your
team to be creative.
Instill Good Habits
You only have one chance to instill good habits in employees after hiring. Don’t waste that opportunity, lest you face the challenge of undoing those bad habits. Welcoming a new employee to your workplace is like starting a new relationship, and you’ll want that to be a positive start. This means normalizing the use of your company’s tools, processes, and practices right at the outset.
Instilling good habits during those first few days is also crucial, as it shows new hires that your company puts a premium on quality work. You wouldn’t want to set the wrong impression, whereby they may feel they’re not in the right place.
To get this right, here are a few tips you could consider applying:
- Use delegation tools, and make your new employees aware of those.
- Have regular check-ins with employees, so you can spot any problems before they escalate. Moreover, you can build better rapport with employees where they feel their welfare is given importance.
- Create systematized feedback, whereby it’s a company practice that feedback is kept respectful and constructive. The end goal is to not tolerate disrespectful comments when feedback is given.
Those are only a few strategies, but they make a big difference in getting off on the right foot with new hires who are also still finding their way into your company structure and system.
Show New Hires Where They Can Contribute
One of the thoughts contributing to all the nerves new-hires experience is feeling small in a big workplace. They walk through and see every team member going about their tasks, and they may wonder what else is there for them to contribute.
As you tour new hires, show them where they can contribute. It can be as simple as introducing them to their department, letting them know what needs to be done, and believing they’re the perfect ones to get the task done. Be as specific as you can be. It can motivate new hires on that first day by feeling like they can do something purposeful for you.
Work can be stressful, but those little bits of inspiration are more than enough to keep them going. And, the happier and more engaged employees are, the higher the chances they’ll contribute productively to your success.
Have New Hires Sign Documents Before The First Day
A good employee onboarding strategy also starts even before the first day the new hire reports to work. Those days between when they’re hired and their first day of work matter. The human resource (HR) team can do some things early, so the first work day is geared towards a better welcome.
In this regard, you could have the new hires sign documents before the first day. That way, they’re all out of the way. They can enjoy touring the office and making new connections in your workplace when all those documents are done.
Conclusion
First impressions are lasting, which applies to the new employee and your workplace. The first few days are crucial as they create good habits. Otherwise, any lapse during employee onboarding negates all the pleasant outcomes ideally expected of each other.
There are many ways to successfully do employee onboarding, whether in a physical workplace or a virtual setting. Find what works for you, and use it as you apply changes to improve your company’s employee onboarding process.
