One of the first, and most important steps to employee engagement is giving new employees a good first impression. How can you ensure your new hires make the transition into your workplace smoothly and happily?
Onboarding needs to be more than just paperwork and maybe a video orientation. Successful organizations need to focus more on welcoming and integrating new hires into their workforce, to lay the groundwork for improved performance and retention. Here are 5 easy steps to take:
1. Make New Team Members Feel Welcome
Truly effective orientation includes making news hire feel comfortable and introduces the employee to the organization’s culture, supervisors, coworkers, and work expectations.
Start this process before work even begins. During the lag time between the date the employee accepts your offer and the first day of work, have the new employee’s supervisor touch base with him. The supervisor can give him or her a heads up about any special projects in the pipeline and give him a rundown on the people he or she will be working with. Team or project members can also send welcome messages.
2. Show Them You’re Ready
On the first day of work, make sure everyone and everything is ready for the new hire’s arrival. Make sure receptionists and security guards know the new employee is starting.
Have the new employee’s workspace, keys and any necessary entry codes ready. Assign an e-mail address and computer password, if applicable, and add the employee to internal contact lists. Then arrange to have management and the new hire’s team members take the time to stop in and meet the new person within the first day or so.
3. Give a Complete Orientation.
Provide an overview of all operations, including the company’s history, an organization chart, a discussion of important products and services, and a tour of the immediate physical facilities.
You’ll also want to communicate information about the organization’s goals and culture. You can talk about your corporate mission, your market presence, and your plans for growth.
4. Get Them Started Right Away
Don’t make the mistake of giving new employees “busy work” when they first arrive, such as reviewing training manuals or shadowing other employees. The idea is to ease the employee into the job, but it can backfire by making the new hire feel unchallenged, or even unneeded.
None of these actions are elaborate, difficult or expensive. They only require careful advance planning for successful coordination and implementation. Your goal is to provide a professional setting and make the new hire feel as comfortable as possible.
Need help making new hires in the IT or engineering arena? The staffing experts at Synerfac are standing by. Contact us to see how we can help you find the best people for your company!