5 Ways to Prepare for an Employee’s First Day
You’ve worked hard spending the time to find the perfect candidate for your open position. Now their official starting date is coming up fast and they are fully prepared for it. A first impression is a lasting one, but not every company has dedicated human resources personnel.
It can be easy especially in small businesses to let the pace and demands overtake the best intentions for your employees first day. Let this simple checklist keep you on track to making the most of those first few hours.
Consider the Welcoming Committee.
It’s an easy task but quite effective whether it’s just one person or three. Take note of personnel who will be welcoming the new hire at the door. Have a concrete plan on coordinating who will show the new employee what. This initial step isn’t just to show you are prepared and eager for their first day but it is also simply a considerate way of directing them and creating an easy transition into learning who their coworkers are. Allow your new leader to get familiar with who is in which departments as well as introduce them to the employees they will be working with the most.
Give a Tour.
Work site orientation is a given. All new hires should be able to know their way around the workplace comfortably and choosing the first day to provide them a tour of facilities, introduce them to colleagues, other executives, team members, departments, breakroom site, etc. will do just that. It’s just as important for all current employees to know about the new hire so key them in on their starting date and give them the opportunity to have introductions.
Prepare a Workspace.
Create a separate orientation for just their workspace. All necessary supplies and tools should be already laid out and organized in their office or cubicle. This includes phone, computer, email, tools and other supplies to do the job. If time allows on the first day, start training them on how to use the company phone or computer applications so they can quickly get familiar. It is also important to immediately start including them in key meetings and getting their calendar set up. This will help them get acquainted with processes inside each department and the happenings of major current projects.
Teach the Company Mission.
Your agenda should include an in-depth orientation to the company’s mission, vision, values and history. Discussing these core values of the company will give the new hire a reflection of the company’s identity, the culture, and what their goals are. It is vital that any new employee knows these values especially if in a leadership position so they can apply them to preliminary actions.
Review Company Benefit Programs.
Their first day is the best opportunity to sit down and get all the hefty paperwork out of the way. Be prepared to explain details of the employee benefit programs to the new hire. Allot time for questions and discussions about the position itself as well so that all answers can be provided.
Giving a good impression on the first day is critical to your retention rate and success of your new employee’s transition. Don’t overlook these simple steps in your orientation plans and remember that orientation is just a part of onboarding which extends beyond just the first day. To learn more about how to get the most out of your employees read our onboarding blogs. If you’re still on that first step to finding the right candidate, let a professional search firm like ours do the work for you and contact us today!