Start Workers Off Right

The first day on a new job can tell someone a lot about whether they’re in the right place! After you get through the requisite paperwork, here are a few simple tips to make sure your new hires feel confident and comfortable:

Set expectations. Send a welcome email prior to the first day with a detailed schedule of where they’ll be, what they’ll be doing, and who they’ll meet.

Provide an attractive work station. Clean desk surfaces and straighten up any files the previous occupant left behind. Have a small cache of new office supplies to start them out. A small corporate gift – like a coffee mug or water bottle – is a nice touch.

Coordinate introductions. Taking the employee around the office to meet their new colleagues is a good way to let them learn where they’ll find people, but it can get a little overwhelming and confusing. Try to schedule a department meeting to introduce your new hire and let folks introduce themselves. A map tying names to work stations is a big help.

Take a lunch break. It’s another great way to get the new hire involved with current employees, but on a more personal level. If your department is large, keep the invites down to the employee’s manager and a couple of their closest reports.

Manage downtime. What about when all the paperwork and “meet and greets” are over? Let the employee settle in to their work station and get comfortable with their new space, phone, computer, etc. Make sure someone is available to answer any questions they might have.

Set more expectations. For successful onboarding, orientation isn’t just a one-day process. Shadowing peers and cross-department meetings should fill up the rest of the week…along with the tasks you hired them to perform, of course!

Another way to make a new employee feel welcome? Tell them about your fantastic employee recognition program with Award Concepts so they have something to look forward to and work toward!

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