How to make new employees feel welcome & onboard them onto culture

TIME STAMP: 2 MINUTE READ

On boarding can be defined as the organizational socialization of the workplace, where new employees are made familiar with expectations, expertise, knowledge and ethnicity of your company.

For newbie’s the first day at a new office is just as frightening as the first day of school, with nerve-wracking thoughts hovering throughout your mind. Even the employers have a to-do list which includes formal paperwork, insurance forms, an office tour, orientation, and familiarising the new employee with the company culture.

However, the most crucial element which can often be ignored is welcoming the new employee, appreciating their experience and knowledge, exposing them to your work environment and helping them become a part of the organization. Investing in the employee on boarding process establishes a foundation for future success.

Here are few ways to ensure your newbie is actually “on-board”:

Make a plan

A welcome strategy or plan can make your new employee feel that they are a valued part of an organization and boost their confidence in their new role. As an employer you should involve the existing employees in designing the welcome plan. Ask for their suggestions on how they would want their new company to welcome them, or how your colleagues can make the new team member be more comfortable. These suggestions could be used to create a detailed written plan.

A welcome kit including your company t-shirt, coffee mug, office bag, welcome card and a customised gift would be the cherry on top of the cake for the newbie, and these surprises can make them feel right at home.

Assign a mentor

Incorporating a mentor for your new employee can enhance the effectiveness of the on boarding process. Mentors can guide your new employee by boosting morale, creating teams, increasing efficiency, enhancing knowledge and skills and helping in continued career advancement. Along with the mentor, the other team members should also bring their foot forward to make the newbie feel welcome.

Formalize team building

To ensure that your new employee fits in with the other employees it’s a good idea to formalize the team building process. Allocating diverse team members for every on boarding process can help to acquaint them with the other members of the office. You can assign a companion, who will make the new hire familiar with the office, answers inquiries, accompany them during tea breaks or lunch and provide discussion starters.

Ask for feedback

Ask your new employee for feedback on how their first week went so that you can understand what did and didn’t work during the onboarding process. Getting a fresh perception can help in building lasting impressions for future employees.

The way a new employee starts their first day and their onboarding process is crucial to the experience that they will have at their new job. It is well worth the company’s time and attention to ensure that the onboarding process is welcoming, positive and exciting to guarantee a long-lasting working relationship.

 Trista Chan is a Wellness Strategy Advsior at Optimity.  She leverages her education in nutrition and experience in corpoate health to guide organizations in building healthy, engaged employees.  Her "me-time" activities include yoga, reading health blogs, cooking....did she mention she likes wellness?  Her passion for all things health-related shines through in both her work and personal life.