by Cameron Herold
You’ve just spent time searching for and hiring the perfect new employee – now it’s time to welcome them!
Remembering to give new employees a warm welcome is a great way to introduce new hires to your company culture and fellow staff members. From upper management down, everyone directly involved with a new employee can be part of your welcoming strategy.
Here are 10 sure-fire ways to greet new staff!
1. Send A “New Hire” Announcement Or Email
This is a great way to make a new employee feel part of the team. It can include facts about the new employee and basic details about when they are to begin work. There are few things more awkward than showing up on your first day of work to blank stares and confusion. A warm welcome email or message lets the rest of your staff know what to expect and makes sure their new colleague doesn’t take them by surprise.
2. Have Them Start Late Or On A Tuesday
First thing Monday morning, you will most likely have many things to do, emails to check and meetings to attend. You don’t want new employees to be standing around awkwardly waiting for you or your team to acknowledge them. Having a late start on the first day or allowing them to begin their new position on a Tuesday will ensure that enough time is available for all necessary on boarding activities and welcome rituals.
3. Have A Clear First Day Work Plan
While you don’t want to overwhelm new employees on the first day, you want to make sure they have enough to do. It is always better to have too much for them to complete than not enough so they aren’t standing around wondering what to do next.
4. Prepare Their Space
Clear their workspace and set it up with fresh tools. The first few days or weeks of work are also an interview for you. Your new employee is assessing to see if this is a good fit for them, their lifestyle and career path. You want to tell new employees that they are “here to stay”. One of the easiest ways to show that you take them and their new position seriously is to prepare a designated work space just for them!
5. Prepare A Welcome Kit With Information And Gifts
Who doesn’t like free stuff? Create an immediate affinity for the company brand and new job with a welcome kit. These don’t have to be elaborate or expensive. Simple marketing materials like t-shirts, notebooks or other items with the company logo can be included. Including a gift card to the nearby coffee shop or restaurant that the staff frequent is also a great idea.
If there are materials pertinent to the job itself like a company laptop or phone, this is also a good time to make them available.
6. Include A Map Of The Surrounding Area
If your new employee is also new to the area, let them know what’s what with a map of nearby coffee shops, restaurants and insider tips about the area – this is always appreciated!
7. Assign A First Day Buddy Or Mentor
Enlist a more seasoned employee to show the newbie the ropes. If you’re always busy or in and out of meetings, it’s helpful to assign a go-to staff member for your new employee to ask all their tedious questions to. Make sure that the mentor is given proper time to prepare so that they can be patient and welcoming – this will save new hires from feeling like they are a bother when they ask about simple matters like washroom or parking locations.
8. Make Training Fun & Engaging
Training is not just about employees learning how to do their job, it is an opportunity for you to set expectations and introduce them to the company culture. Use training to introduce new employees to quirky office rituals, interesting facts and group dynamics.
On their first day, a new employee will be looking for cues from others about how to behave and what is appropriate. If you have a fun and holistic approach to training, it will help your new employee come out of their shell much sooner.
9. Have A Judgment-Free Open Door Policy
Make sure that your new staff members aren’t afraid to ask questions or give feedback. Though feedback should always be welcome, it is especially important on an employee’s first day.
There’s going to be a dozen tedious tasks and questions in the first days and weeks of hiring a new employee, so be patient and understanding. What might seem obvious to you may not be so obvious to someone new to your company.
New employees also come with a fresh perspective and vantage point that you don’t have, so be open to what they have to say.
10. Take Them To Lunch With The Team Or Department
A team or company lunch is a great way to introduce new employees to the rest of the staff in an environment that is casual and will make for less intimidating introductions.
We often forget what it’s like to be the new person in the room. It’s important to immerse new staff in your company culture as soon as possible in order to set a strong tone for their first days of work and instill them with confidence.
Providing a welcoming environment for new hires will encourage swift integration and make sure that new employees know that they are supported on their journey to becoming a seasoned member of the staff!
Cameron Herold is known around the world as THE CEO WHISPERER. He is the mastermind behind hundreds of companies’ exponential growth. He earned his reputation as the CEO Whisperer by guiding his clients to double their profit and double their revenue in just three years or less. Cameron is a top-rated international speaker and has been paid to speak in 26 countries. He is also the top-rated lecturer at EO/MIT’s Entrepreneurial Masters Program and a powerful and effective speaker at Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer leadership events around the world. Cameron is also the author of multiple books, including Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less and Free PR: How to Get Chased by the Press Without Hiring a PR Firm.