How to Welcome a New Employee

For your business to thrive, you’ll need to bring in new employees every so often. Welcoming these recruits properly can make an enormous difference to the speed at which they acclimate, and to the value of their contribution as a whole. The induction process should ideally include several key components, each of which will help the employee in question to get to grips with their new environment as quickly as possible.

Starter Kit

A welcome kit will send the message that you’re investing in an employee for the long-term. It might include practical items like personalised stationery and business cards, as well as one-off gadgets or treats. You can still buy quality chocolates online, which is always a favorite, or the latest small tech item.  They are always a welcome inclusion and will be well received by any new starter.

Arrange a Getting-to-know-you Session

Employees who feel socially included in the workplace will tend to get on better with their colleagues. They’ll therefore be able to work better as part of the team, and the result will be greater productivity. Get the most from your staff by arranging a social gathering at the outset. That way they’ll be on first name terms with everyone before the work starts. During lockdown, you’ll be able to do this with the help of platforms like Zoom; once the restrictions are lifted, you can arrange a face-to-face round of drinks.

A Formal Induction

For your new employee to be as productive as possible right from the start, they’ll need to be given the tools they need to hit the ground running. By making this a formal part of your procedure, you’ll be able to support your new employees consistently. Write down the steps you’ll be taking for each new employee so that your staff can refer to them whenever necessary. These steps might include computer logins, a tour of the workspace, and common questions and answers. You can always make adjustments to suit the needs of a particular new recruit.

Feedback

As well as telling your new recruit what’s expected of them, and issuing instructions, you’ll also want to be able to get their feedback. This will allow you to identify areas of weakness, not only for a particular employee, but for the recruitment and induction processes more broadly. This way, you’ll be able to improve things for when you bring the next new person in.

So how might you go about this? You might put together a questionnaire, or sit down for an informal chat. New employees are unlikely to be willing to criticise their place of work too vocally, so it’s important that you get them in a relaxed environment before inviting them to open up.