How to Engage Your New Hires From Day One

The first day as a new hire is not unlike your child’s first day of school. Nerves and excitement can be at an all-time high, so it’s important for human resources and anyone on the new hire’s extended team, to capitalize on his vibrant energy for his new “home.”

Reports increasingly show that retention is positively tied to a smooth new hire experience. According to tinypulse.com, 22% of employee turnover occurs within the first 45 days of hire; as a result, the on-boarding process must be a well-thought-out, white-glove type of exercise, especially since HR does not tend to welcome the idea of looking for a replacement on day 46.

What can you, as a human resources professional or a hiring manager, do to engage new hires and get them heading in the right direction, feeling confident and productive right away?

Plenty.

Hiring Manager To Dos

Let’s start with the person who will work most closely with the new hire: the boss. Sure, it is ideal if the first day on the job is not the first time you’re seeing your new employee; but let’s face it, in the real world that’s just not always the case. If you will be managing an employee whom you’ve only read about from a manila envelope, reach out right away and set up a meeting. Pronto. As in, before he arrives on site on day one.

Give your new employee an office tour; direct him to the restrooms, break rooms, printers and mailrooms; walk him to his new office or cubicle; and introduce him to his neighbors. And, while having a thoughtful welcome sign or balloon is not necessary, it sure provides an inviting and memorable touch.

Try to set up this meeting in the middle of the day so you can plan to take him out to lunch afterward. Invite key colleagues with whom he’ll be working. Not only is this a nice gesture and a chance for you to get to know one another, but it will also quell the ever-present stress most new hires experience in anticipation of the first day on the job.

Human Resources Manager To Dos

Systems rule when it comes to onboarding; having a system in place to ensure onboarding is a smooth experience for each and every one of your employees is priority number one. Avoid costly image mistakes. Don’t let poor planning become a public-facing story about onboarding failures like this one. If you don’t create the system before you need it, the next story you see about your onboarding practices might be on glassdoor.com.

If your job description does not include onboarding proper, ensure that each employee is assigned an HR person who is passionate about onboarding new hires and is eager to drive the process from beginning to end. Scrambling at the last minute is perceived poorly by the new hire, and first impressions about your company do, in fact, matter a great deal. According to Onboarding New Employees: Maximizing Success, produced by SHRM, “new hires [were] 69% more likely to stay at a company for 3 years if they were part of a well-structured onboarding program.”

Consider providing essential benefits information and the employee handbook via email prior to the first day (when legally acceptable, of course) so as not to overburden your new hire on day one!

When setting up the schedule for the first day and beyond, ask yourself the following questions:

• Does the new employee have a key/key card/access code to get into the building and office?
• Can he find his workspace? Is a proper workstation set up and ready to go with a working computer, keyboard, mouse, telephone, pens and paper?
• Has a company email been established, and can the new hire now access systems, databases, etc.? Can he get into the company intranet?
• Have you arranged 1:1 meetings for your new hire with key stakeholders, manager(s), colleagues, and direct reports?
• Does your new hire have an informal or formal mentor?
• Is there a scheduled check-in date on day 30 to ensure that the transition has been smooth?
• Are employees briefed about the new hire’s arrival and asked to help make it a cordial environment by making introductions?
• And, lastly, could I get excited about working here!?

Seamless Integration for New Hires Improves the Employer-Employee Relationship

Established companies have methods for smoothly integrating new hires into the fold that they revisit and tweak them as necessary. A happy employee is a productive and successful employee. Setting the stage for a warm, trusting relationship between employee and company takes only a tiny fraction of the time and effort it takes to find and train a new hire. Make this a priority, and your company will save time and money, and employee-employer relations will blossom!