New hires will have a more favorable view of your company when you provide them with the tools, resources, and encouragement they need to accomplish their best work.
For this reason, we’ve compiled a list of 14 ways to welcome newbies and start them off on the right foot.
Our list includes various ideas such as:
- Using a buddy system
- Foster a welcoming environment
- Taking new employees out to lunch
Plus, many more ideas that are thoughtful and practical.
Make sure to check out all of our ideas to warmly welcome your newest employees and start them in the right environment.
Let’s jump in!
Table of Contents
Why Making New Employees Feel Welcome Matters – According to Studies
2. Give New Recruits an Office Tour
3. Foster a Welcoming Environment
6. Make Onboarding More Social
7. Reach Out Before Their First Day
9. Schedule One-on-One Sessions with Each Employee’s Supervisor
11. Invite Anonymous Improvement Suggestions
13. Assess Roles, Duties, and Expectations
14. Announce New Hires to Other Teams
Why Making New Employees Feel Welcome Matters – According to Studies
Welcoming new employees is a crucial matter.
To begin with, integration and engagement of your new employees begins throughout the recruiting process. This is strengthened when the new employees are immersed in their new work.
Besides, you can make a big impact based on how you greet your new hire.
Belonging is a top priority in the most recent Global Human Capital Trends survey.
79% of respondents in the survey above stated that cultivating a sense of belonging among employees was critical to their organization’s success in the following 12–18 months. 93% agreed that a feeling of belonging motivates organizational performance.
Moreover, HR professionals are focused on increasing employee engagement inside their organizations for various reasons, one of which is retention.
Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report mentions that organizations with a high level of engagement save money on turnover and recruiting costs, while disengaged employees are a significant contributor to high employee turnover.
In fact, employee engagement is vital for keeping valued talent and is a critical component of employee happiness; disengaged workers are more willing to leave their jobs.
According to Forbes and the statistics below, engaged employees are more likely to be driven and loyal to their firm. This results in the achievement of additional business objectives and contributes to the organization’s overall growth.
Wanna see some interesting statistics?
- Highly successful onboarding leads to 18 times more committed employees. (Source: Bamboohr)
- In the United States, 62% of employees are engaged, compared to 48% in the United Kingdom, 56% in Australia, and 42% in Hong Kong. That implies everyone else is either indifferent or proactively disengaged. (Source: Qualtrics)
- 40% of Australians experience loneliness at work. (Source: Hcamag)
- Efficient onboarding boosts performance by up to 11%. (Source: SHRM)
- Six out of ten managers have had an employee resign during their probation period due to inadequate onboarding. (Source: Business Insider)
- Employee turnover might reach up to 20% in the first 45 days. (Source: SHRM)
- Happier employees are 12% more productive. (Source: Warwick)
- To feel more satisfied at work, 36% of employees are willing to give up $5,000 of their annual earnings. (Source: Orbital Shift)
Next, let’s check out how you can best welcome new employees.
1. Use a Buddy System
In the onboarding process, there is a lot to learn and remember; new recruits might quickly get overwhelmed.
A fantastic idea is to assign a buddy or mentor to each new recruit to assist with the transition into their new workplace and role.
Buddies can help by answering questions, providing job-related tips and techniques, and providing moral support.
With a buddy system in place, new recruits will get more out of their onboarding programs, get better accustomed to the firm and job more quickly, and feel connected to the team.
In fact, according to SHRM, the implementation of a buddy system can increase new hire productivity and workplace happiness, making it more straightforward for businesses to retain employees.
A strategy like this aids in the establishment of an initial personal connection between the new employee and the business.
Furthermore, a new employee who is made to feel like a team member gets assurance and is more likely to become more productive sooner.
2. Give New Recruits an Office Tour
A hectic Monday morning for on-site employees is not the greatest time to whisk existing workers away from their desks to connect with a new recruit.
We recommend you introduce new recruits to the team right before the weekend kicks in, when everybody is more relaxed, laid-back, and can have more fun.
Consider additional opportunities to make a good first impression, such as an all-company gathering before the new recruit begins, or perhaps a company party or departmental trips.
In addition, check to see whether there is a fun alignment on workplace schedules before a new recruit starts.
When workers have more flexibility to interact and get to know their new colleagues without compromising their job, everyone can help make a new team member’s first day successful.
3. Foster a Welcoming Environment
Both team members and the corporation should be introduced throughout the onboarding process.
Start unique rituals to welcome new workers to accomplish this and get existing team members enthusiastic about participating in the process.
For example, the most recent employee to join the team can make a welcome pack for the next new employee.
Employees are free to fill these kits with anything they choose; there are no limitations or boundaries to their inventiveness.
Everything from novels and branded items to greeting cards can be included in the kits.
Furthermore, employees are eager to be a part of the onboarding process, regardless of what they load the kits with, and new hires get a customized greeting to help them feel more at ease – and welcomed – on their first day.
Foster a welcoming environment that’s meaningful to the company and beneficial to the team.
It can be as easy as bringing in doughnuts and coffee from the staff’s favorite cafe down the street or as elaborate as a new hire happy hour. Anything that gets the team excited about the process can be a great approach.
Let’s see what’s next.
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4. Take Them Out to Lunch
Simply asking a new employee to lunch is one of the finest opportunities to get to know them better.
Speaking with new workers outside of the workplace in a more relaxed setting is a terrific approach to learning more about them and making them feel more at ease with you when you return to the office.
These lunch dates are a great opportunity to foster connections and make the move as smooth as possible – and maybe even enjoyable. That’s why it’s a great icebreaker for the whole team and can make new hires feel truly part of the team.
Hence, knowing how to make new workers feel welcome is crucial to your company’s long-term success.
Furthermore, putting these recommendations into practice may make the transition easier for everyone and play an important role in the growth of a new employee.
Having leadership accessible for inquiries and comments will also help to reduce early stress and prepare new workers for a successful future at your firm.
5. Give Them Branded Items
In several ways, branded items can speak for your company.
Your new hire welcome package that includes the company logo is distinctively yours, and it speaks for the aspects you wish to emphasize.
Consider sending swag items to both your on-site and remote employees, as it’s crucial for both types of employees.
Not only will you equip new hires with the tools necessary to succeed in their new roles, but you will also demonstrate to them how valuable they are to you.
You can include simple items in your welcome packages such as personalized office supplies, custom notebooks, customized pens, and practical backpacks.
Plus imagine arriving at your new work on your first day and being greeted by a personalized box of items.
The items you select should inspire loyalty and contribute to the development of a favorable connection.
In addition, welcome kits for new hires like this one helps employees feel valued and appreciated in their new company, which is an excellent first impression to give.
6. Make Onboarding More Social
Give your newly recruited staff members access to your internal communication tools as soon as feasibly possible so they may meet their new coworkers and get a feel for your firm’s existing activities and company culture.
Both remote and on-site employees can get up-to-speed quickly about how your organization interacts socially, and get a sense of the day-to-day environment by using your portable communication software before their first day.
The first ninety days are critical to an employee’s long-term retention with your organization.
You can keep your turnover rate low and your workers involved with your business’s objective by making their 90th day as inviting as the first.
A social onboarding strategy done over time provides a continuous cycle that nourishes your company’s most valuable asset – its people.
Let’s check the seventh idea on this list.
7. Reach Out Before Their First Day
When a person accepts a new job offer, they are usually quite thrilled to begin the new position.
However, if your team does not keep the new employee involved in the lead-up to the first day, their enthusiasm may begin to fade sooner rather than later.
Sharing onboarding documents online is one way to engage new workers before day one.
No one enjoys spending their whole first day at work filing paperwork in a human resources office.
Instead, share documents like insurance overview and employee handbook as soon as new workers sign so they can be entirely prepared for employee onboarding.
8. Set the First Day Schedule
On an employee’s first day, you don’t want them to show up and not know what to do.
In rare situations, an employee can arrive at your workplace only to discover that the team has forgotten about them beginning that day.
Alternatively, the employee may simply be handed a laptop and instructed to research while their manager is in meetings.
Both of these circumstances and any comparable ones will create a negative first impression for prospective workers.
Having a clear agenda for the first day and week is vital to avoid being unprepared or keeping new staff engaged.
For example, the first day may involve a meeting with the HR team to go through employee benefits in further depth, a meeting with other teammates to know more about the product or services you provide, a planned team lunch, and a follow-up with the new employee after the first day.
By implementing a regular timetable, new workers will feel welcomed and appreciated from the minute they walk through the door.
9. Schedule One-on-One Sessions with Each Employee’s Supervisor
Each new hire should meet with his or her manager on the first day, or within the first week.
This step is particularly important for remote employees as they don’t have the same amount of communication as on-site workers.
Ascertain that each employee’s real duties correspond to what was described in the job role and discussed during the job interview.
In addition, utilize one-on-one contact as a chance to establish aims and targets for each new hire.
Your new workers and their supervisors may outline essential tasks as well as any significant objectives or metrics that will be used to gauge on-the-job performance during these sessions.
Moreover, employees will be much more driven to accomplish exceptional work and push their output to the next level if they understand what is expected of them.
Our tenth idea is to offer employees privacy.
10. Offer Privacy
While team bonding events have their place, there is also a time and place for privacy.
This extremely matters for on-site employees as the office is their main working environment.
Employees are unlikely to feel at ease at work if they believe their boss is continually staring over their shoulders.
While measuring work performance is unquestionably vital, employees must also feel trusted.
To complete their work efficiently, having private cubicles available can help productivity since employees may feel less stress to please the individuals observing them.
Although this is a useful concept, workers do not need individual cubicles to be productive.
If that isn’t your way of business management, utilize your own work as a remote monitoring station for your personnel.
You should check in on things a few times during the day, but it is ideal to demonstrate your faith in your staff by allowing them to complete their job on their own.
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11. Invite Anonymous Improvement Suggestions
Some workers will avoid confrontation at all costs.
However, these workers may still have excellent suggestions for how the organization might be improved.
Instead of putting staff on the spot and making them feel obligated to sign off on any proposals, try allowing anonymous ones.
You could, for example, conduct an annual end-of-year poll. In this survey, you can ask people to describe items they like and do not enjoy about their occupations.
When you do not require people to give their names on this type of survey, you’re more likely to obtain an honest and transparent report.
This also relieves stress from your staff since they won’t feel afraid or threatened if they are able to express their feelings anonymously.
12. Send a Corporate Handbook
It’s a good idea to write down all of your regular policies and preserve them in one place. This is often referred to as the company handbook.
Make sure to provide a copy to your new employees, regardless of how. It’s a good idea to include this in the greeting email.
One of the basic laws of management is that you should not expect employees to obey a policy until you have clearly stated what that policy is.
The following are examples of standard policies to include in your company handbook:
- Values, aim, and vision
- Prerequisites for availability
- Working hours
- Vacation policies
- Cost-cutting measures
- Policies on sick leave
All advantages should be described in detail, including any and all norms and regulations that you want everyone in the firm to follow.
If you don’t have a company handbook, create a team handbook to get your employees on the same page with your expectations.
13. Assess Roles, Duties, and Expectation
One of the most critical roles as a manager is to explicitly describe the expectations and obligations for each person and position on your team, even though it might seem monotonous and tiresome.
Here are some questions to help you get started:
- Is the employee aware of the metrics, if any, that they must meet?
- Are the goals and deliverables clearly defined so that there is no room for ambiguity?
- Is the employee aware of what “done” looks like for each task?
- Is there a clear distinction between ‘bad’ and ‘good’ work?
- Have you recorded all of your expectations for that role?
A good job description will cover a lot of this, but it’s also important to have a more comprehensive set of expectations that are used internally, especially with remote workers to have more clarity.
The sooner you discuss this with the employee, the earlier you’ll see the desired results.
14. Announce New Hires to Other Teams
Determined by the size of your organization, either notifying a department, business unit, or the entire firm will make more sense.
This should be done for both online and in-person onboarding to make it a fulfilling experience.
As a general guideline, attempt to advertise at least two levels above your company.
This will cover the great majority of people with whom the new employee will interact and will still be a useful update for the rest of the business.
This can occur on the first day of employment, depending on how the bigger organization’s meeting cycle aligns with the employee start date.
Furthermore, it seems much more genuine and authentic than simply sending an email or Slack message.
Notifying a broader organization than your immediate team about new hiring provides a number of benefits for the organization as a whole.
Seeing new members join the organization is energizing.
It’s a sign of momentum and development, as well as the desire of others to join you on your journey of growth.
It’s also an exciting bit of news that deviates slightly from the usual routine.
Our post has come to an end!
Now Over to You
Now that you have finished reading our post, you will definitely get a better sense of why welcoming new hires matters.
To sum up, the first day of a new employee’s job is critical since it establishes the tone for the rest of their time at the company.
You will have a long-term employee if you do a good job of onboarding them.
Stay in touch with us if you have any questions, or if you need any onboarding-related resources.
We are here to help you enhance your process and take it to the next level.
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