Those few weeks in the beginning, when the employee first joins (how she is welcomed by her seniors, befriended by her colleagues, the training she gets etc.), decide how she will conduct herself around colleagues and the way she will devote herself to the work at the office, in the future.
This is why the first few weeks of a new employee are significant, for they shape her impression of the company and lay the foundation for the rest of her time there.
Giving the new employee a warm welcome on their first day is good, but it is not enough. Throughout the weeks that follow, you need to help her settle in and warm up to her new role.
Here are some helpful tactics leaders can use to help new employees settle in, get motivated and feel confident as they get hold of their new responsibilities.
Prepare Everything Needed to Receive Them
On their first day, they are already overwhelmed, and the last thing you want to do is to make things more awkward for them by keeping them hanging around the office as you take time to ready their workstation, prepare necessary documents, or set up their computers.
Lack of preparation in welcoming her on your part would not only make the new employee feel uncomfortable, but also unwelcomed.
So, the least you can do is to make the new employee feel at home—have her new desk ready, with her computer set up and any official papers that need to be signed, prepared before her arrival.
It is also important to send her a preparation email that mentions everything the new employee needs to know about, before she comes to the office. In this email you can mention key details such as dress code, parking, lunch hour and whether there is a cafeteria, any documents or equipment (personal laptops, tabs etc.) she needs to bring in, as well as a brief on what to expect on the first day. Such an email would both benefit you as well as the newbie.
Notify the Rest of the Team/ Department
The arrival of the newcomer is an important detail all current employees must know. Notifying the rest of the team would help you create a welcoming environment for the new employee and assign her a new ‘buddy’ from the team.
The ‘buddy,’ of course, would be responsible for giving a tour of the company, introducing the newbie to the rest of the team/ department/ company, answering any question she many have, joining her for lunch etc.
Plus, if the team members already know, they will not stare at the newcomer in surprise, making the latter feel very uncomfortable; instead they would welcome her aboard the team warmly and help her settle in smoothly!
Hand Over an Organizational Chart
An organizational chart is a tool that highlights the structure of an organization; it explains the hierarchical structure of the company and shows the job titles and job responsibilities of each employee.
An org chart can help the newbie get a quick sense of the organizational structure, working relationships, her place in the company and who she should report to or assist with.
(Made Using Creately)
This example organizational chart shows the structure of different departments of a company (who is in charge of each department and each function that comes under them). If not department-wise, you can do it team-wise or even company-wise, so as to include all the employees across all departments.
Giving the new employee access to such a comprehensive org chart would help her understand her place in the company and identify other employees as well. Plus, if she uses an org chart, it would make it easier to explain her role and responsibilities in the company to her later.
It is easier to share the org chart with anyone if it can be accessed online; with an online organizational tool, you can easily create a large org chart and share it with every member of the team.
Check in on the New Employee Constantly
Once you introduce the new employee to the rest of the team, help her settle in and assign a buddy, don’t completely abandon her. Make sure to check in on her throughout the first day and the first few weeks that follow.
It’s important to let her know that you are available to answer any question, concern or need she may have. Help her out if she is facing any trouble completing a task assigned to her.
Plus, it’s extremely important to talk to her about the company culture, the company’s vision and mission, and company values. After the tour of the office and the initial introduction, each subject could be discussed at separate times by different people like the manager, CEO or the team leader.
Thus, keeping the newcomer’s first day filled with various activities would help keep her spirits up. However, don’t pressure her with a full workload with strict deadlines; instead let her relax in to the environment, to feel confident and get hold of the place, people and work.
Set Goals for Motivation
Company goals and the individual employee goals are two separate things, although the latter complement the former. While achieving company goals results in increased profits for the company, personal goals for employees allow them to stay focused on the projects they are working on and get motivated to perform better.
Setting goals for the new employee during the first week is important; it helps her find direction and gradually get into a positive work mood. It will also help the employee understand what your expectations are.
Going the extra mile to help the new employees feel welcomed and settled in is important, especially if you expect to keep the talent you spent so much time and money on hiring, for more than 3 months. The first day at office could be an overwhelming experience for a new employee and lack of preparation on your side to welcome her would not only demotivate her, but also lead to her forming a negative impression of the company.
Follow these tips when you are helping your new employees settle in. If you incorporate other helpful tactics to welcome your new comers, do let us know in the comment section below.
Author: Amanda Athuraliya is the communication specialist/content writer at Cinergix, the team behind the development of the organizational chart software, Creately. She is an avid reader, a budding writer and a passionate researcher who loves to write about all kinds of topics.
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