Starting a new job is stressful for anyone. As a manager, you can make the experience a lot easier for your new hires – and at the same time, successful for your company. Because, the sooner an employee is comfortably on board, the more quickly they can ramp up to full productivity.
Give a Tour – A Really Helpful One!
Workplace tours are a fairly standard part of employee onboarding, but take it a step further and be sure your new hire is familiar with places like the mailroom, the security office, and the best vending machines and break rooms.
- Work with the employee’s new colleagues to create a list of places to visit on the tour.
- Provide a list of key contacts for your new employee to meet. Include brief background information on each person, including their name, title, department and role within your company. Also point out any personal ties between each individual and your new hire. For instance, they may have children of a similar age or enjoy the same hobbies or interests.
Wine and Dine
Make sure new employees have lunch plans for their first few days on the job, either with you or with other people they should meet. If they’ve relocated from out of town, set up a dinner or two as well. During their second or third week, consider a happy hour or similar after-hours get-together, so they can get to know people in a relaxed, informal setting.
Provide Needed Resources
Make up a packet of annual reports, contact numbers and links, staff directories and recent company marketing materials and leave them on your new hire’s desk or workstation. Be sure their phones, computers and passwords, and other practical tools are up and running. Leave them a company coffee mug, T-shirt or baseball cap as an added welcome.
Be Accessible
Make yourself available at least a few times a day to check in with new employees. Encourage them to come to you whenever needed and ask questions as they arise.
Blend In-Person and Online Training
In a recent survey, 50 percent of employees said they believed in-person training helped them to effectively retain key information. By incorporating both in-person and online training resources, you give new hires a better understanding of the information they receive, and they also have references to turn to in the future.
- Hands-on training gives employees the opportunity to apply what they’re learning before doing it entirely on their own. Whenever possible, let people try out and experiment with their new skills in a controlled environment. This helps them build confidence without risking the chance of a harmful mistake.
- Consider mobile training apps. Apps give every employee an option to learn in an environment where they feel comfortable and free of distractions. And even if only a small percentage of people opt to complete training remotely, your company saves time and resources that would otherwise be spent on on-site programs.
As you build and onboard your winning team in customer service, IT, finance, legal and administrative support, production and distribution or healthcare, consider a partnership with PrideStaff Modesto. Backed by our national network of clients and resources, we can help you achieve your talent-management goals effectively, efficiently and successfully. Contact us today to learn more.
