The first day at a new job is a nervous one for the new employee. Even after going through the recruitment process successfully, there is always still the apprehension of venturing into the unknown. Particularly the first day validates or invalidates whatever preconceived notions the employee has had about the Company.
For the employer, the first day is a great opportunity to make a good and lasting impression and formally introduce them to your company. Unfortunately not many business owners or managers take time to do this for so varying reasons.
If you have always wanted to do this but wondered how; this post is just for you. Below are a few pointers.
- Resumption: It is best to schedule a new employees arrival on a meeting day. Typically most organizations would have staff meetings on a Monday and this is a good avenue to formally welcome the new staff into the company. For a small organization, it is great to have the business owner present but in bigger organizations, this may not be always feasible.
- Welcome Kit: Once the formal introduction has been done, the new staff should be presented with a “Welcome Kit.” It should contain documents such as the job description for the role, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Operations manuals and the Staff handbook. Other items in the welcome kit include notepads, pens, keys, work tools, access cards, and clear directions on how to get the ID card and work email. A personalized welcome note will also be a great morale booster.
- Assignment: The new staff should also be assigned to a department, shown a seat and a mentor or buddy who will show him/ her around the office and be available to answer his/ her questions. It is not professional to abandon a new staff to figure out things themselves.
- Induction Ceremony: This can be done on a company or departmental level. The induction ceremony gives the staff an opportunity to understand the company’s history and culture. It is also an opportunity to emphasize company policies and staff responsibilities towards the organization.
- Reporting and Communication lines: Often times a new employee has a question or an issue and is confused as to how to direct his/her question. It is not uncommon for a staff to start on a bad note with colleagues because he or she unknowingly skipped the reporting lines. All new staff must be shown the proper channels for communication and reporting and if there are peculiar requirements for communication such as memo formats, font, etc. the new employee should be told.
The best places to work are not necessarily those that have a luxurious environment but those that have a great culture and where employees look forward to coming to work everyday.
Become that employer today!