As a business owner or recruiter, your job doesn’t end with hiring new personnel. If you want to ensure they stick around and put their best foot forward, you need to make them feel welcome. You need to give them the support and guidance they need to get up to speed and settle into their new roles without any hitches and as soon as possible.
This is where an induction plan can make all the difference.
Companies with a strong onboarding process can improve new employee retention by 82%. In light of the fact that employee turnover can cost one-half to two times an individual’s annual salary, training your managers and team members to connect with new hires will help you keep your recruits.
How To Make Your New Hires Feel Welcome and Supported in Their New Environment
Starting a new job can feel daunting as employees must navigate uncharted territory. Here are 6 tips to make integration easier:
1. Assign Them a Buddy
By pairing new hires with an experienced team member — someone familiar with the company culture, practices, and systems — you can create a warm and welcoming environment where they can feel more confident. So, give them a point-of-contact for any problems and questions they may have. This can help set your new hires up for success and make their transition as smooth as possible.
It’s an excellent way to promote a sense of belonging. It also creates engaged employees who perform and collaborate better.
Microsoft, for instance, found that new hires who were given buddies had a 36% increase in satisfaction.
2. Welcome Them With an Onboarding Kit
Make your new hire feel prepared on their first day by giving them a welcome package with everything they need to get started. It can include:
● A handwritten welcome letter
● An employee handbook with information about employee perks and guidelines
● A personalized journal and other office supplies like a pen, USB, and laptop
● A company directory
● A list of agendas and expectations
To further reinforce a welcoming environment, you can give them high-quality gifts like company swag (such as T-shirts, bottles, coffee mugs, etc.), gift cards, or snacks and drinks to show them you’re excited to have them onboard. You can take inspiration from 10 of the best welcome kits from different companies.
3. Give Them a Tour of the Office
This strategy is old school but it has a big impact. Have the supervising manager give your new hires a company tour on their first day of work to familiarize them with different systems and processes. You can also show them where they can get some peace and quiet if they need to focus or brainstorm on certain tasks.
This will give them a feel for the office and help them get comfortable with their new surroundings.
An office tour can also be a fantastic opportunity to introduce them to team members and help them assimilate, ensuring a smoother, successful transition.
4. Create Opportunities To Interact With Team Members
Being a new hire is tough stuff — after all, there are only so many names, faces, and designations one can remember! That’s why it’s a good idea to give them multiple opportunities to get to know the people they’ll be working closely with.
A company-wide video call or meet and greet is a good starting point. New hires can have one-on-one informal meetings and build a sense of camaraderie over conversations. Lunch and interactive ice-breakers are also excellent methods to acquaint new employees with veteran employees and break down barriers.
That said, if you want to make maximum impact, you can give your new hire the gift of convenience. While the human mind can recall 5,000 faces, names can be harder to remember. So, you may want to consider sharing a document with photos of your team members to help them get acquainted with their colleagues.
5. Send a Welcome Email
A well-crafted email reflects your company culture and values, making it one of the best ways to welcome your new hire and set expectations for them.
This can be done before they even visit the office or on their first day.
The welcome email should:
● Mention the goal/purpose of the email
● Include information about the company
● Introduce you and the teams they’ll be working with
Here’s a how-to guide courtesy of Monster Jobs.
It calls for a bit of creativity in design, but if you don’t have the budget for it, you can use corporate email templates from PosterMyWall to create customized emails that resonate with your brand and recipients.
6. Throw a First-Day Party
Planning a first-day party for your new hires — coffee chats, happy hour after work, or refreshments in the breakroom after lunch — is a thoughtful way to take the anxiety out of the equation. No more stressing about giving a short introduction to your hobbies, interests, and backstory in front of curious faces!
New hires can simply let loose even if it’s for a short time while interacting with their peers with no pressure to outperform anyone.
So, make sure to have a plan that invites team members to suggest the best approach for everyone. You can then send them to everyone you want to invite to help new hires get excited about the job and get them off to a good start.
Take Home Message
Starting a new job can be overwhelming with all the things that new hires must keep track of. But you can make the process much easier while improving retention by giving them the resources they need to become part of your organization.
An onboarding buddy, a welcome email, a tour of the office, and opportunities to connect with fellow employees go a long way in making your new recruits feel welcome and ready to buckle down at work. By following these simple tips and making use of free tools like PosterMyWall, you can make a good first impression and have fun doing it.
