As a hiring manager, you’ve done the hard part, going through endless levels of interviews to find the perfect candidate and now, it’s the start date. For a new hire, starting a new job can be exciting, overwhelming, and nerve wracking. Some people approach their new career with elation and confidence, ready to take on their responsibilities. However, some employees dread the first day - worried about the people they’ll meet, their supervisors’ management style and even where they will sit at lunch. Successfully integrating new hires into company culture is one of the most important hiring processes and can be a determining factor in your new hire’s career-span within the company.
Your new employee has already had a great first impression with their candidate hiring experience, now, it’s more crucial than ever to continue to impress them with your company culture and keep that excitement and momentum going. Here’s a 4-step guide to the process of making new employees feel comfortable and part of the team from day 1.
1. Begin Onboarding Before the Official Start Date
One way companies can introduce company culture to new hires is to start the process before they even arrive. When sending out materials to introduce them to the job, include internal materials that gives your new employee an inside look into the personality of the company. Take advantage of what is typically a to-the-point welcome letter to prepare your new hire for what they can expect on the first day in a fun and creative way. Providing them with a FAQ sheet, recommendations around the area, and a set first-day agenda can eliminate some of the worries and questions they may have upon arrival.
2. Create Fun Opportunities to Meet Fellow Coworkers
We’ve all played getting-to-know-you games as kids in school, and whether we liked them or not, they were undeniably effective at breaking the ice and encouraging interaction. Icebreakers and team facilitation activities are a great way to ease some of the tension your new hire may be feeling. Social media is also becoming a new and innovative way to create connections between employees. Help your employees merge into the company by encouraging them to follow company social media accounts, along with adding them to a private social network for your company. A private social network, such as a private Facebook group, allows employees to participate and feel active in conversations in a less formal setting. Ultimately, it comes down to implementing interactive opportunities to create a strong dynamic for your company culture.
3. Put Yourself in Their Shoes
Regardless of the amount of time your company has been established, company culture is something that is present from the very beginning. Unless you are the CEO or have been with the company from the ground up, chances are that you have had to go through the onboarding process as well once upon a time. It’s easy to forget the impressions and questions you had on your first day, but it’s critical to put yourself into their shoes and make them feel as comfortable and supported as possible. Remember, as a new employee, questions will be asked and mistakes will be made; these are expected and should be looked upon as a learning experience for both the new employee and manager. Putting in effort to realize that you were in the same position at some point in time allows a certain level of respect and rapport to be built.
4. Follow up
The number one place where companies fall short in the onboarding process is following up with your new hire to ensure they are understanding and enjoying their work. One of the easiest ways to guarantee long-term employment is to onboard them correctly and not let employees fall off your radar. According to the 2018 Recruiter Nation Survey from Jobvite, 39% of talent professionals dedicate between 1-3 business days to onboarding. Although it may involve increased efforts from larger companies, onboarding should be a priority and last weeks or even months as necessary. In addition to habitually checking up on your new hire, a simple follow up email is a valuable way to gain feedback and opens up an honest communication forum between all levels of authority.
Some of the biggest onboarding challenges are inconsistent applications, manager accountability and competing priorities. Adapting a new employee to the company culture and ensuring their success needs to be a priority to guarantee a positive experience. Keep in mind, helping your new hire fit into company culture can be simplified with these 4 easy steps: begin onboarding before the start date, create fun opportunities to meet coworkers, put yourself in their shoes, and follow up.
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Are you a hiring manager or talent acquisition professional looking to expand your team? Ask us how we can help coach your onboarding process as needed! Blue Signal’s search process continues to impress our clients and our recruiters are dedicated to finding top talent within any industry.
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