collaborative post // If you want new employees to stay, it’s important that you make them feel welcome. New recruits are likely to be scared off if they’re made to feel like an outsider. Below are some tips on how you can make employees feel more welcome.
Introduce them to the team
You should start by introducing new recruits to their colleagues. This could be done in a meeting – you can quickly go through everyone’s names and roles to give them a good idea of who everyone is. This could be particularly important in companies with big teams where it may not be obvious as to what job everyone does. You may also want to go through means of contact for each employee such as company email addresses and phone extensions.
Give them a tour of the office
If you didn’t already provide a tour during the interview, it could be important to do so on your employee’s first day. On top of pointing out the obvious things like where the toilets are and where to get coffee, make sure to point out any important health and safety information (such as fire exits) and help them to understand rules and customs in the office such as where to go on their break.
Prepare their workspace
You shouldn’t be scrambling around looking for a desk for a new employee on their first day. Work out exactly where your new employee is going to be stationed and make sure their workspace is clean and tidy for when they arrive. There may be software or accounts that you can set up in advance too.
Give them a first day gift
Gifts shouldn’t just be something that you give to employees when they leave. You can also give employees gifts on their first day as a way of welcoming in. There are companies that can manufacture custom corporate gifts for this purpose. A first day gift doesn’t have to be anything big – it could be something as simple as a mug or a flask.
Don’t leave them out of social events
If you’re planning to go out for drinks after work or going out for lunch with your team, make sure that you don’t leave out new employees. Invite them along so that they feel part of the team – it could be a chance for them to bond more with team members and for you to get to know them better.
Be available if they need you
It’s important to be patient with new employees and be there for them if they have any questions or concerns. It’s easy to get agitated with new recruits, however this could have negative effects – employees may feel as if they’re a nuisance and may end up making more mistakes because they’re too afraid to ask for help.
While it’s likely you’ll have lots of work to be getting on with, you should try to free up some of this work if you can so that you’re able to supervise new employees. Alternatively, assign another employee to answer questions and supervise – try to free up their workload by getting colleagues to share responsibilities so that they’re too busy themselves.
