A successful recruitment process will hopefully result in one or more new starters. It is incumbent on you as a manger to ensure that they are given a pleasant and professional welcome to your team and perhaps the organisation.
The first few days for anyone starting a new role can be stressful and challenging. It can be difficult for a new recruit to know who is who, understand what is expected of them, and to find their place within the team. In most cases, the new starter will be trying to create a good impression, and may be struggling with the balance of wanting to ask a great many questions, but not wishing to appear ‘needy’. They may have doubts or concerns about their decision to join the organisation or team, and if managed correctly, the first few days can be reassuring and help to validate their decision to accept the job offer. Similarly, as a manger a good on-boarding process will ensure that you gain a productive member of the team as quickly as possible.
The following guide will help you ensure that new starters have a warm welcome, and are quickly integrated into a team, enabling them to swiftly become productive and happy in their role:
Pre-arrival Preparation
- Ensure that necessary arrangements are made before the new starter’s arrival, such as setting up their workspace, equipment, and access to relevant systems and resources.
- Communicate with the new starter in advance, providing information about their first day, including the schedule, dress code, and any required documentation.
- Ideally, invite the new starter to visit their planned workplace informally in advance of their start day. This can give them an opportunity to see their working environment, and meet a few colleagues in advance. Such a visit helps to reinforce a connection and makes the start day a little less arduous.
Warm Welcome
- Greet the new starter on their first day with a friendly and warm welcome. Introduce yourself and other team members, making them feel included from the start. It is important that as the new recruit’s line manager, you are personally available to welcome and spend some time with them on their first day. This can make a big difference, as not being available on their first day can be taken as a sign of disinterest in them. If you are not available, start them on a different day.
- Provide an overview of the team and the organisation, including its values, mission, and culture. Help them understand how their role contributes to the overall goals.
- Arrange for the new starter to be given a tour of their working environment, highlighting facilities that are available for their use, location of key departments, and how to get in and out of the building normally, and in an emergency. By arranging for another team member to escort them, this can be an opportunity for them to have an informal chat with one of their new colleagues.
- A great idea is to invite the new starter to a team lunch on their first day. This gives them an opportunity for informal conversation with the team, and to quickly feel part of the group.
- Check in on the new starter before they leave on their first day, and give them an opportunity to raise any concerns or questions based on their initial experience.
For information on the next steps, such as the Induction/Onboarding Process, Training and Development, Integration Activities, and much more, take a look at my book “Management & Leadership“, from which this article is an extract. In my book, I also look at a whole range of skills and theories that will empower you to be the best manager that you can be, and hopefully equip you to be one of those managers remembered for the right reasons.
