How to welcome new employees
Today is the first day for your new hire. You’ve taken all of the usual steps when awaiting a new employee’s first day and you think you’ve prepared enough. Though you’re prepared, you’re not particularly confident you’re welcoming your new employee with innovative thought. Don’t give up, get motivated and ensure that your processes are in top shape before welcoming your new employees, because 33% of new employees look for new employment within the first 6 months with a company.
We’ve come up with 4 innovative ways you can onboard your new talent to the company that won’t have you contributing to the negative side of the statistic.
1. Free stuff, company swag & treats
What better way to welcome your new addition to the team than with a free company swag and various treats? There is no better way! That’s why we listed free stuff and swag at number ONE. The benefits of giving your new employee free company gear start and end with turning your bright new employee into a brand ambassador.
The New York Times looked further into this new employee gift giving trend and found that Warby Parker had an interesting first day swag packet:
“Warby Parker provides a physical welcome packet on the desk of every new employee that includes a number of items important to company history: a copy of Jack Kerouac’s “Dharma Bums” (because the company was named after Kerouac characters); an army supply notebook to take notes as the new employee learns about the company; gift certificates for a free eye exam, glasses for themselves, and another pair to give as a gift; Martin’s Pretzels because the four founders always ate them when starting the company; and a gift certificate to a Thai restaurant because, when the company was getting started in Philadelphia, the only place that was open late at night was a Thai restaurant.” – Bryan Burkhart, Writer, NY Times
Free stuff makes your employees happy, and companies with happy employees outperform competition by 20%. If you take it a step further by throwing your own little unique twist, this poses an amazing opportunity for culture building, too!
2. Assign your new employee a designated buddy in the office
Appointing your new hire a buddy to confide in is a sure way to get the new employee acclimated to their new work environment. Have the appointed buddy give the walking tour of the office. Chances are, the designated buddy who was once a new hire themselves, will know better ways to introduce experienced employees to the new employee. In fact, 56% of new hires say they want to have a buddy or mentor for their first week on the job.
“Ideally, the buddy should have a similar position as the new hire – or should have formerly held that position. This may or may not include specific training, but must include ‘general’ training for how to fit into the company itself, regardless of job duties.” –Drew Curi, Revel Marketing
According to a survey put out by the Aberdeen group, 66% of organizations claim they need to improve their onboarding program. Are you a part of this statistic? If so, shake it up! Click Boarding offers many different onboarding solutions for companies looking to improve their onboarding efforts.
3. Avoid making Monday the first day
Your employees are busy. Mondays? Mondays are quite possibly your employee’s least favorite day. In fact, in a study put out by The Telegraph UK, most people won’t smile until 11:16 a.m. on a Monday. Mondays are so unwelcome that most people can’t even feign a smile until early afternoon.
Instead have your employee’s first day be a Friday. Fridays, while in some cases are still busy, are usually more relaxed. Employees are excited about the weekend and could quite possibly be more welcoming to newcomers.
Get the positive juices flowing, long before introducing that new employee to your current workforce. Consider a Friday perk, 40% of employees say they would like a half day before starting off their weekend.
4. Get your employees engaged from the start!
Only 55% of employees feel inspired by their leaders. Don’t fall into that trap. Get your employees engaged from the beginning. There are many ways to engage your employees from day one. How? Check the bulleted list below:
- Clue your new employees in on the company’s ultimate goals. Goal alignment is absolutely necessary for any success, including employment.
- Organize their area. Have your employee’s desk ready to go the day they get there, so it doesn’t seem like their first day on the job with you is an inconvenience.
- Have an open question forum. Let your new employee know that no question is too small to ask.
- Encourage other employees to engage with the new employee. A trivia game curated to all questions surrounding your new employee will make them feel special, open them up and start conversations.
Innovatively onboarding a new employee can be a huge difference maker in the engagement and productivity of your team. Put your current process to the test. Can you see shortcomings? If not, can your current employees give you some hints? What are you doing right? Take all of these into consideration and if you find that your onboarding process could use a little sprucing up, check out a Click Boarding demo. We’d love to help you get ready for your new employee’s first day!
