From the viewpoint of an employee, a new workplace can feel like another world of its own. There are different work practices, different work ethics, new people and a different physical environment. This can make a new employee feel out of place, like a square peg in a round hole.
As an employer, how do you onboard new recruits and help a new employee make the transition to their new job smooth?
Tips To Get An Employee Onboard Easily
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Send essential info ahead
New employees know next to nothing about the company. During the interview process they may have read up a bit about the company and its operations but that knowledge is very limited. It is important to get employees acquainted with what the company is all about and its routine functions by sending a copy of the organization’s handbook, company dress code, code of conduct and ethics. You might also want to send them forms to be filled out ahead of time to make the process faster.
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Prepare their workspace
Plan for their arrival, clear workspace, repair or replace old damaged equipment and upholstery, ensure the workplace is clean and gadgets are functioning. It also helps to rid their work area of pollutants and let some fresh air in. This specifically applies to offices and workspaces that haven’t been in use for a while. It’s little things like this that make a good impression and make new hires feel welcome. Think about it, you wouldn’t have someone visit your home and not make an attempt to present a clean, clear and clutter free space. The workplace should be that way too, workstations should be inviting and serene, free of distractions and anything that can interfere with work. Make employees feel welcome by setting things in order ahead of their arrival because how an employee feels in their physical work environment has a huge impact on their attitude to work and job output at the end of the day.
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Be a tour guide for a day
Helping employees get familiar with their new work environment by showing them around promotes the feeling of comfort and aids settling in. The main areas shouldn’t be the only highlights of the tour, also include places like the toilets, lounge rooms, cafetaria, basically every nook and cranny, even that old storage room you think the new hire has no business with.
Also, as you go about your tour, introduce them to their new colleagues. Making introductions can function as ice breakers that could potentially be the start of healthy work relationships. Your employee will thank you for this especially if they’re shy and withdrawn.
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Offer assistance with settling in
After the mini tour, take them to their workspace and get them settled in. See how they like their chair, desk and office. Ask if there is anything you can do to make them more comfortable. Also, don’t forget to give essential things like office keys, toilet keys, lunch passes, a building pass, wifi passwords and any other thing they might need. You can take it a step further and help plan out work their schedule, just to ensure your new employee is well settled.
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Establish a communication channel
In the first few weeks of employment, constantly check in with new employees and ask about their welfare. Sometimes new hires might feel shy to reach out concerning a work issue as they are new and still getting used to things, so take the initiative and get in touch constantly. Encourage them to contact you if they ever need any help or have any struggles.
Note
Communication is not complete without feedback, therefore make it a point to constantly ask for feedback.
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Offer continued support
The first few weeks being over doesn’t mean new hires already have a hang of the job. Keep following up on new employees, approach them and set up meetings if necessary to run over the details of the job and also to make clarifications if need be. In all, cultivate an enabling environment for them.
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Tailor the process
Every employee is different and they should be treated as such. While there may be a general onboarding process, you should make room for personalization. Take into account differing job roles and job specifications, each job is different and the onboarding process should reflect that. For example, senior employees may need more guidance than junior employees due to differing work profiles. You can also add a personal touch by;
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Creating avenues for mentorship by pairing new hires with existing employees. To avoid creating scenarios in which employees don’t get along, let the matches be based on personality.
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Setting up constant follow up from the human resource department.
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Making available resources tailored to individual employee needs. No one is perfect, every employee has their areas of strength and weakness, it would be especially helpful to provide new employees with hand picked resources, specifically for them, to cater to their weaker qualities.
Final thoughts
Onboarding new employees serves as an official welcome into the company space and as such is vital to employee performance and a key contributor to the growth and success of the company. You can get weekly premium hiring and employee management tips when you subscribe to our newsletter here.
Also read: The Job Ads That Would Attract The Best Candidates