No matter how qualified you are, starting a new job can be nerve-wracking. It often takes new hires a few weeks to get into the flow of their new workplace and find their groove. This being said, there are a lot of things that an employer can do to help smooth out this process, which ultimately benefits both team and employee.
The sooner a new employee is comfortable in their position and happily working away, the better for colleagues within the company and the customers or clients outside of it.
The following will take a look at some of the things you can do as a responsible employer to help new hires settle in and set them up for success.
Address The Paperwork
Whenever you’re hiring someone new, there is a whole raft of forms that need to be signed and a ton of information collected. Before the onboarding process even begins, you should have a plan regarding how to streamline your workflow in order to make it easier on everyone involved (and keep precious information from disappearing and needing to be resubmitted).
Often, this takes the form of using onboarding software, or a more old school approach with new hires allocated their own file, but whatever method you choose for getting organised, be sure that all details are in place before the onboarding process begins.
When it comes to the actual contract itself, using contract lifecycle management (CLM) software is one of the quickest ways for an organisation to improve the efficiency and management of this important document, giving you more time to help your new employee settle in.
Have Them Start On A Friday
This might seem like an odd suggestion to make, but when you consider it a little further, it starts to make sense. In almost all cases, an employee’s first day isn’t going to involve much actual work. There are tours to take, badges that won’t swipe, people to meet and forms to sign.
Within most businesses that operate Monday to Friday, Friday is often the most relaxed day in the office. Everyone is feeling the approach of the weekend, and often, the atmosphere in the office is at its most positive and welcoming. This is a much better first impression than the relative pessimism of Monday.
On Mondays, the weight of the weekend weighs a little heavier. They’re also in work mode, hoping to get a jump start on the week. This is a less ideal time to help a new hire settle in efficiently. On a Friday however, the age-old suggestion of ‘’pint?’’ could lead to your new hire immediately ingratiating themselves with the team.
Facilitate Introductions
Over and over again, people cite work relationships as a key part of employee satisfaction. In fact, it turns out that making just one close friend at work can result in a 50% increase in job satisfaction. And you know what they say about happy workers, right? It’s the quickest route to happy customers.
In fact, according to Oxford University, happy workers are 13% more productive. So, take the time to introduce your new staff member to as many people as you can and facilitate a warm welcome to encourage friendships to be formed early on.
This will not only increase the chances of them knowing who to reach out to if there’s a hiccup on a project, but it will also increase the chances that they meet someone with whom they click. Some responsible employers go so far as to schedule a mini coffee chat virtually or in person with their new employee and one staff member every day for their first few weeks on the job, though this can perhaps feel a little forced.
Read: What’s the best way to manage employees?
Have An Onboarding Buddy
Assigning one experienced staff member to a new hire (who is not the new hire’s boss) can greatly improve a new hire’s experience. Having someone who is sticking with them to help them not get lost, figure out how to work the moody copier, and answer questions that someone might not want to ask their boss can really smooth out the transition.
It’s also an excellent way to welcome someone to your company’s culture. As with any business, there will be both formal and informal structures at play, and having a guide can help people navigate these new situations more easily.
The above tips should get you started on developing an excellent onboarding process to ease your new employees into the workplace. It is also essential that you include any and all safety information required for a healthy and secure work situation during the onboarding process for someone new to your company’s unique way of doing things.
Even though safety videos and appropriateness videos are not necessarily the most fun thing to watch, it is crucial that someone is prepared for any potential workplace harm before they’re facing them.
The Bottom Line
To become an employer that people want to work for, it’s important that you welcome new staff into their roles with warmth and compassion. In doing so, you’ll ensure a happy, productive team which ultimately equates to higher profits.