These are the Best Ways to Welcome Your New Hires

Nowadays, many employers are putting a lot of emphasis on using the best recruiting tools, hiring and retaining the right employees, and providing useful training. Why? Because these employers know that these steps are important to an organisation’s success.

Though, sometimes we tend to overlook things. For instance, forgetting about the importance of welcoming a new employee. This is the perfect chance for employers to introduce and plant the seed of a positive and healthy company culture.

Here are six ways to welcome new hires with open arms:

1. Start the welcome party as soon as possible

Once the new hire accepts the offer, the welcome party should greet them. There’s no need to wait until the week before a start date to begin the welcoming process. In fact, it would be strange to not hear from the new company, especially if there’s a huge gap between the job acceptance and the starting date.

The new hire should be included in all communication regarding them to their future team members, this will let them know right away that they’re a part of the team. Encourage your team members to reach out to the new hire and congratulate them on the new job.

This is a great moment for everyone, especially the new employee. For such a rigorous hiring process, there should be congratulations for successfully completing the hiring process and obtaining the main prize.

2.  Assign a coach

It can be socially intimidating when you start a new job. By assigning a coach for the new hire, they can assist the new hire to settle in at their new place. The coach can also be someone outside the employee’s new team that can open social doorways into other teams.

3. Start a welcoming committee

An orientation committee can be formed to assist with additional onboarding task. They can provide the new hire with an office tour, creative gifts, new employee requests and other tasks. A welcoming committee could consist of any mix of employees from different departments and disciplines.

For the committee, it’s a nice way to break up with their usual routines with fun and creative projects. It’s also another way to meet other employees and increase workplace communication.

4. Provide a task list

The first few days can be the toughest for the new hire. So make sure, there’s a task list or agenda ready for the new employee. It should consist of most important tasks first, followed by other tasks that are helpful but not mandatory. Include tasks that will require time and effort as well as fun and creative tasks.

5. Follow up and always revisit the new hire

Get feedback on your welcoming process. Set up a meeting with the new employee at regular intervals, such as 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and/or a year. Don’t forget to invite their coach and discuss on what worked and what didn’t. Talk about the company culture and values that you hoped to foster.

Ask for first impressions that the new employee had during the first week. The onboarding process should be reviewed on a regular basis to make sure there is a continuous improvement.

Remember that welcoming a new employee starts as soon as the job offer is accepted. It is a process that can redefine your company culture if you’re doing it right. Remember, if you take care of your employees, they will also take care of you.

Further reading: Stop Wasting Time Onboarding New Hires, Try These Instead

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This article is adapted from Trevor McGlochlin's 6 Ways to Welcome Your New Employees