If you have just hired a new employee and want to make sure that they feel valued as a member of your team and are accepted into the work environment, then there are a few things that you can do to make new employees feel welcome in a new company.
When a new hire starts they may feel intimidated about walking through those doors for the first day or logging on for the first time with the other employees, so you need to let them know that they have a place here and that you are happy to have them be a new team member.
Preparing Your Team Before They Arrive
Before you start the onboarding process with the new employee (or new hires if they fall on that same start date), then you need to gather your team together and let them know what’s going on.
Their new co-workers may not be as open to receiving new people if they are not aware of who they are or what they are doing there if they suddenly appear on Monday morning.
Tell them the name of the new person starting and the type of reception you want from each member of the team.
Get The Relevant People Involved
Let the technology department know when they are starting and what they will need, e.g. laptop, monitor, keyboard, mouse, login information, and so on.
This gives them enough time to get everything together before they arrive so they are not rushed on the day and push their own work back.
Be Organized
Being disorganized before new employees arrive can give them a negative impression of the work environment and company culture, which is something you really want to avoid, especially as you have been through a long and important hiring process with them for this new job.
You need to make sure that you make new hires feel good when they walk through the door, and that they are happy to be there and start this new journey with you.
Best Practices to Make Employees Feel Welcome
Now that you have prepared your team and they know what clear expectations you have for when the new employee starts, it is time for you to think about what you can do to make sure that employee engagement is upheld and they are happy throughout the onboarding session and anything else that happens during their first day.
Email Them to Welcome Them to The Company
Before they step foot inside the office, it may be a good idea to email them beforehand to welcome them into the fold and introduce yourself again.
You could send them a list of who they will be in contact with and let them know of any upcoming events with the team so they can see if they are available. Just being friendly and offering a hand of kindness to them will help with making a good impression.
Put Together a Schedule
Before they arrive, you might want to draw them up a schedule of their first day or week in the office so they can know exactly what they will be doing to help them be ready for whatever happens.
It would be best to not set them any complicated tasks on their first day, but rather ease them into it all. Manageable tasks will make them feel better about being somewhere new.
You can put on the schedule what departments they need to have meetings with and where they need to go for specific things etc., this will help them become more confident in the office and work out what is going on, such as how to use the phone system and work the copy machine.
Provide Plenty of Necessary Training
You know that you will need to train your new hire when they arrive, so before they do, go over the training plans and ensure that you have all the material to hand and you are happy with what they will be learning.
There is a lot of information for them to process during these training sessions, so it would be a good idea to break up the day and offer them free food in between these times so they can have a moment to take a breather and go over any notes they have made.
Remember, your current employees only have to learn the name and face of their new teammate, whereas the new employee will have to learn multiple names and faces, so this can be quite jarring in a new office.
Take Them on a Tour of The Office
Always greet the new hire at the reception and take them on through to the office.
If you expect them to walk through and find your office, this could make them feel intimidated especially if they don’t know where to go and they have a lot of ground to cover.
Show them where everything is such as their designated Locker, staff room, break room, and toilets.
Show them where they can get a cup of coffee or tea, and food should they feel hungry.
Offer them something to drink and get them settled in their spot when they are finished with their training.
This would also be a good opportunity to introduce them to the office as you take them around so they can see who they will be working with/alongside.
Complete All The Paperwork on The Same Day
Nothing can be more boring than paperwork, but it is important to get it done and dusted and out of the way on the first day so it doesn’t drag on.
Fill out your end and get them to fill out theirs.
Maybe just before their training or just afterward so they can then move on with the next part of their job without that hanging over yours and their head.
Get Someone to Shadow Them/Mentor Them
It isn’t easy being the new kid anywhere, so their first month will be filled with them learning the ropes and figuring out a thing or two about the office and the people.
It may help with their new role if you have someone that will shadow their work or be there if they need a helping hand with anything.
This can support them when they need it most and it will stop any time being wasted if they don’t know who to ask and wait to find someone to ask.
Even confident new employees are going to feel a little apprehensive, so providing them with the extra bit of support can build on their confidence and make them feel like they are not alone.
Let Them Know What to Expect as Time Goes on
They should already know what the job entails and what they will be doing day-to-day, but there are always new tasks that can pop up and changes to the way things go, so you can inform them of what the next stages are and how they can progress in this business.
Outlining to them what the company’s expectations are and how it wants to grow in the industry can help new employees see how they fit in and what they can do to be part of that growth, and how they can live up to those expectations as well.
Ask For Feedback
In the case of feedback, you want to ask them questions like “how has your first week gone?” “would you like to ask me anything?” “are there any problems you would like to address?”
Opening up a clear and communicative dialogue can help them be more honest with you and get them to feel like part of the team.
You want them to know that you care about their well-being and that they should feel like they can speak about what is going on with them at work.
Making employees feel valued can really be a positive for the company as employees want to feel like their voice matters.
Conclusion
Knowing how to make new employees feel welcome will help you when a new hire walks through your doors and is ready to start working for your company.
Whether you are a passionate entrepreneur or you are a big business that offers multiple opportunities, you want them to have long-term success with you, so making a good first impression will go a long way in making them feel happy that they took that job offer.
