Onboarding New Employees

We all know how important first impressions are. Make sure you make a good one when you welcome new employees to your team by having an effective onboarding program in place. It doesn’t have to be hard, but it does have to be intentional.

By building a process around your onboarding program, you’ll create consistency within your organization and make it easy to replicate with each new employee you hire.

Here’s a starting point for bringing your new employees up to speed on your company, culture and their new role.

Your Onboarding Checklist

• Pre-board the new hire – This step happens before your employee officially begins. Craft an informative and personalized welcome email that provides the basics for Day 1:

• When do they start and where do they need to be when
  • Are there any specific instructions they might need, like where to park, what documents to bring, if there’s a dress code, etc.?
  • Also include any forms or paperwork they should fill out prior to Day 1. This step will simplify the process once they do arrive at work.

• Prep the employee’s workspace – Whether virtual or in-person, your new hire will need to be equipped. Set them up with whatever accounts they’ll need access to, a laptop, workspace, and any other equipment they may need. Nothing says bad impression like no laptop on their first day. It’s also nice to include some welcoming touches, like company swag, a guide to local lunch spots or coffee shops, a few basic office supplies and a welcome letter.

• Streamline Day 1 – The employee’s direct manager will likely take the lead on orienting their new team member, and if that’s you, here are a few important steps to take:

• Offer a tour of the space and begin introductions. An employee’s first day can be overwhelming, so now is not the time to dig into everyone’s workplace responsibilities, but a general hello and welcome from the team and company leaders is important.
  • Arrange for a meeting with HR to take care of any paperwork and review company policies.
  • Treat them to lunch – free food is always a win.
  • Give them some alone time to settle in.

• Continue onboarding throughout the upcoming weeks and months – With Day 1 under their belt, everyone is likely feeling a bit more relaxed and also energized to get to work.

In those early weeks, schedule one-on-one meetings with your new hire and existing team members so they can get to know each other and how they will be working together. Be sure also to schedule any training that may help the employee feel comfortable using new systems and processes.

It’s important during these first weeks that you slowly introduce your new hire to their role so they feel set up for success. If they don’t feel ready or have the tools or resources to do what’s asked of them, they’re going to fail…and then possibly quit…and then you’re right back to square one.

• Make time for socializing – Being on a team is also about having fun and getting to know each other outside of the day-to-day workplace responsibilities. So, plan a social event and do so with regularity. It’s good for everyone – new hire or not.

Getting your employees started on the right foot is important. Not only does it foster engagement, it also helps build a welcoming and positive workplace culture. Plus, with a process in place, it’s easily replicated as your team and business continues to grow.