A LOT of people don’t realise just how important welcoming new members of staff is. Hiring new staff is very expensive so it’s important when you find the right person they get the welcome they deserve. First impressions are crucial when it comes to new staff. It’s easy to think they are supposed to impress you, but don’t forget your organisation also needs to make a good impression on them.
New staff will want to feel valued and welcome as soon as they walk through the door. The reality is taking on a new member of staff requires a fair amount of organisation and planning. You need to get everything in order before they start, the last thing you want is to come across as disorganised. Get your act together and do everything you can to make a positive first impression. Here are some things you will need to do if you want to successfully welcome new staff.
Welcome Letter
Send out a welcome letter before they start so they know what to do on their first day of work. The welcome letter not only welcomes them to the company but outlines things like dress code, start times and the plan for their first day.
Employee Handbook
You should send out an employee handbook with all the information they will need for their new role, including their new job description.
Important Documents
When new staff members come in on their first day of work make sure they have access to important company documents. Give them their intranet log in details where they can access shared documents, email them or give them hard copies of your most important documents.
Meeting The Team
Instead of bombarding people with a huge amount of work on their first day, give them a little time to settle in by doing introductions. Set up meetings with the rest of their team and key members of staff such as their line manager, the company director and a member the accounts department.
Mentors
Some companies find it beneficial to assign new employees a specialist mentor to help them through their first few weeks. Their mentor can be there to answer any questions and give them support where necessary.
Prepare For Their First Day
Get everything organised so that their first day goes as smoothly as possible. This includes things like getting their desk and computer set up and providing them with all the passwords and logins they will need. The last thing you want is for them to juggle IT issues on their first day.
It’s useful to have a new employee checklist of things that need to be done before they start.
Meeting With HR
Set up a meeting with HR on their first day so that they know what is expected of them and what the HR rules and regulations are. They can also go through health and safety and company policies that all staff should be aware of.
Give Support and Don’t Overload New Staff
Don’t leave new employees twiddling their thumbs and wondering what to do. Give them support and try and help them if they get stuck or don’t know what to do. Don’t terrify new staff by giving them huge amounts of work to complete in their first week, they need to settle in and learn the ropes first.
About the author:
Andrew Lyons is a HR specialist dealing with all your employement needs. He recommends MyHRToolkit for your managing Human resource Issues online.
