Preparing an Employee for Their First Day of Work
When a new employee steps into their workplace for the first time, they’ll doubtlessly be feeling the classic “first day of school” mix of apprehension and nervousness. At the same time, they’ll likely also be feeling excited for new beginnings and possibly even pride at landing their dream job.
As their employer, your role on a new hire’s first day is to make them feel welcome as a valued member of the team. You need to help them overcome their initial nervousness and get them excited about their role in your organization. At the same time, you will also want to lay out the objectives that need to be achieved and set expectations for the job.
The onboarding process is your chance to make a lasting, good impression of the company. Organizations with poor onboarding processes, rather than preparing new employees for success, are preparing them for an early exit. On the other hand, a great onboarding experience shows that you are committed to a long and fruitful collaboration. By getting your new employee off to a great first day, you will be setting the tone for a productive and successful tenure.
Here are some ways on how you can make your new employee’s first day a success.
Start Before the First Day
A successful first day starts even before the day itself. A week before the new employee’s start date, you should already be sending them key information such as the employee handbook and a short welcome video introducing the company. These actions help to build trust with the new employee.
In addition, HR paperwork should also be filled up ahead of time. Many forms can now be filled up digitally online and imported into the new hire’s digital employee file. This is so that more time can be spent on making friends and connecting with colleagues, rather than getting bogged down in paperwork.
At the same time, you will want to prepare your team to welcome the new employee. Inform them of the start date, so that at least they won’t be caught off guard. If possible, assign a mentor or buddy to the new employee from among the team. Also, prepare a list of key people to meet and schedule their time for a meeting with the new employee. Share this schedule with the new employee as well.
Make Day One a Busy Day
One of the worst experiences a new employee can get is being ignored on the first day. It shows that their manager (and by extension, the company) simply does not care about them, leading to doubts as to whether they should even turn up for the next day’s work.
Hence, a new employee’s first day should be filled with meetings with the team and plenty of face time with their immediate superior. The goal is to create bonds that will last a career and beyond. Getting new hires engaged early will ensure that these bonds translate into productivity and a motivated employee.
With this in mind, the first day’s meeting schedules should be planned in advance and sent to every participant beforehand. Keep the discussions friendly and light – after all, the new employee will have a lot of information to take in at the risk of getting overloaded.
Create a Welcoming Environment
If it’s your new hire’s first day in the office, have someone greet them. They will become a valued part of the team, after all, and should be made to feel welcome from the first minute they start.
To take the welcome further, once they get their work laptop, throw in some company-branded goodies to truly make them feel a part of the organization. Stuff like company T-shirts are not only an effective morale booster, they also create a powerful psychological effect on teamwork and motivation.
Another psychological tactic to welcome a person into a group is to offer food. Thus, if possible, a team lunch should be scheduled for the new employee. At lunch, they can also get to know the team in a more informal setting.
Show Them Why Their Work is Meaningful
When someone knows that their work makes a difference in line with their ethics and ideals, then they find meaning in their work. Making work meaningful is one of the most powerful ways to motivate an employee to give their best and perform on the job.
Consequently, impressing a new employee about their work on the first day is crucial to getting them off to a good start. When you run your first-day training session, show a new hire how their work impacts the organization. Show how their job scope fits into the mission and vision of the company, as well as how they fit into the organizational chart. All this goes a long way towards giving their work meaning on the first day.
And if possible, make time for your new hire to meet all the departmental heads and do a brief introduction. This may not be feasible in a large multinational, but if it's a smaller organization, do try your best to make it happen – if not on the first day, then on the first week. These introductions not only build interpersonal connections, it also puts context into the new hire’s work.
Make the First Day Onboarding a Success with BrioHR
Engage your new hires right from Day One with BrioHR’s seamless onboarding module. This helps you make the right first impression, i mproving employee engagement, productivity, and retention.
New hires have their own access to get instant visibility on the onboarding process. They can enter their personal details, upload documents, and access company information before their first day. At the same time, managers can customize the onboarding process and notify all relevant people.
With automated reminders and a user-friendly dashboard, this enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.
Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.
