Dust Off the Welcome Mat- Welcoming a New Hire to Your Team

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. A successful employee/employer relationship needs to get off to a positive start – these tips will make sure that happens.

Make the new employee feel special the moment they first walk into the door. Give a tour of the building, not just the employee’s office space. Make sure to point out break rooms, bathrooms, and where your office is located. These minor details will help them adjust to the new environment more quickly.

Set up the new employee’s office or cubicle before they start the day. Have all paperwork required by the HR department prepared. Feel free to give your new employee a welcome gift as well. A simple item with the company logo – a pen or coffee mug, perhaps also adds a nice touch.

Familiarize the new employee with the company mission statement, ethics policy, and dress code. Knowing the culture will help her or him assimilate into the new environment faster. Be sure to explain any technical jargon or potentially unfamiliar vocabulary. This will help prevent accidental mistakes and violations of unwritten rules in the company. Also it is crucial that you set goals on the first day. This fuels a sense of importance for the new hire. Here, you can outline short and long-term goals, giving new employees a sense of purpose and ideas to work towards.

When introducing the new hire to your company, start small. Meeting new people in a one-on-one scenario is less intimidating than being introduced in front of a crowded mahogany table at this week’s conference meeting. Try having one employee on their team act as an ambassador, for go-to questions that can be answered without your expertise. Gather the team and take the new hire out to lunch; the more relaxed setting will encourage friendships and connections between team members. Get the new employee involved right away in any company activities, picnics, or sports teams so they don’t feel excluded.

Also, the follow up is important. Do not forget to check in with the new hire. Find out if they have any questions, comments, or concerns and continue to check up on them for the first week, and occasionally after that. The 15th day and 45th day mark are good guidelines, but feel free to drop in more.

Willory is here to provide you with this intelligent, prepared and qualified new hire to add to your team.