10 Easy Steps to Make New Employees Feel at Home
Want to impress your new hires? Engage them from the moment they accept your offer with a seamless, structured onboarding process that makes them feel like part of the team before they even set foot in the office.
Many people consider onboarding to be the paperwork part of compliance – all the forms and legal documents – but the heart of onboarding is making your new employee feel significant, valued, and welcome. The goal is to make them feel great about their decision to join your company – so you can keep your hard-won talent.
Just like a house isn’t a home until infused with that intangible human element, onboarding is just compliance paperwork until you start to focus on making new employees feel like an important part of your organization. And making new employees feel welcomed and valued is powerful stuff – well-structured onboarding programs have been proven to increase new hire retention and retain talent longer.
Include these 10 easy steps in your onboarding process:
1. Send a welcome email and introduce their teammates
It can be nerve-wracking meeting everyone the first day! Make it easier on your new hire by sending a welcome email that includes headshots and bios of their new team members. This will allow your new hire to start to put names to faces. You could also include fun tidbits about each colleague, such as a favorite hobby. This is also a great opportunity to introduce their mentor.
2. Get their ID badge ready
Have your new employee send a headshot before their first day so you can have their ID badge ready to go when they arrive.
3. Give Instructions
Nothing makes nerves and anxiety grow faster than uncertainty. Alleviate their worries by sharing important instructions about their first day, such as:
– Where to go
– What to wear
– Where to park
– Who to meet
4. Prep their Space
One of the simplest things you can do is empty and clean their office or workstation before they start. Using a desk or office with someone else’s personal belongings feels eerie and unsettling, like walking into a ghost town. You can always leave a company-branded gift or a welcome plant on their desk.
5. Affix their office name plate
Details matter. Taking the extra time to personalize their space clearly demonstrates that you value them and want them to stick around. It’s also a great idea to hang a welcome sign at the front door with their name on it and in a common area – this helps current employees too!
6. Greet them at the door
You know your new employee is starting. Don’t make them wait for you in the lobby. Meet them and greet them with a warm welcome. They won’t forget it.
7. Give a tour
Take your new employee for a stroll around the office. Show them where the break room, restrooms, etc. are. Introduce them to employees along the way.
8. Provide FAQ’s
Interview your team and recent new hires and make a list of frequently asked questions – i.e. printer information, a map of the office, or the best local food spots. Print the list so it’s on their desk the first day and send a digital copy for reference.
9. Share Expectations
Inform your new hire of your expectations for the first day, week, and 30/60/90 days. Unclear expectations breed doubt and uncertainty.
10. Encourage Feedback
New employees can be shy to share their thoughts and feedback. Encourage them to do so and open those lines of communication for honest conversations.
