Roll Out the Welcome Mat

Wouldn't it be nice if the interview and selection process were the hardest part of adding a new employee to your organization? But, unfortunately, once a candidate accepts a job offer, the real work has just begun. Your organization needs to make a great first impression so that the new hire feels welcome, valued and happy to have accepted the job.

When you integrate new workers into your organization, you're really transitioning new hires from their current companies to your company. The more effective you are at this process — called onboarding — the less risk you run of having new hires jump ship to run back to their previous companies or take competing job offers. Successful onboarding builds long-lasting relationships, capturing the hearts of employees the moment they agree to work for your company.

Think back to your first days with your organization. Did you feel welcome? Were you given the resources to find the people and information you needed during your first days and weeks on board? Were the people around you organized and in control? If you had a great experience, you've already got the right idea of how successful onboarding works. If you didn't, here are a few ideas to help your organization begin implementing best practices that will impress any new hire.

• Create a first-week agenda for the employee. In it, include time for the new hire to meet with key people, learn the layout of the building and set up the work area. If you're setting up appointments for the new hire, give staff members the new employee's resume and job description — and a few questions to help the conversation go smoothly.
  
  
• Take a long, hard look at your New Employee Orientation process. In many companies, this process is either a day or several days of meetings, which can be overwhelming. Consider using an Intranet site to post benefits information and forms, dress-code information and an extensive company FAQ with other details that the employee needs to know.
  
  
• Assign a mentor to the employee. Having someone to go to lunch with or go to with questions can be a huge stress reliever for new hires.
  
  
• Ask the employee to touch base with Human Resources at two weeks to determine how things are going. If any concerns have arisen, this check-in gives the employee a neutral third party to share them with.
  
  
• Keep the new hire's family in mind. Whether someone has moved across the country to work for you or is just commuting across town, job changes can create plenty of family stress as everyone adjusts. Consider offering a perk of some kind that gives the family a chance to have some fun during the first few months of the new job.

Want to run some other ideas by an expert on the topic? Contact Sheri Breitstein of The Connors Group at 201-537-0030 or sheri@theconnorsgroup.com to do some brainstorming.