Hiring what seems to be the perfect new employee doesn’t mean they’ll automatically have an amazing experience at your business. Even if they raved about how impressed they were with you, the other interviewers, and your business, your first impression isn’t over. There’s also the first impression they’ll form of actually being an employee rather than an outsider meeting with you.
This means your onboarding process needs to be smooth, informative, friendly, welcoming -- overall as conducive as possible to amping up their enthusiasm to stick around. Hiring an employee costs quite a bit and losing them does too, so it’s best to invest in whatever you can to reduce employee churn. This can include implementing certain procedures and using the right software to organize and streamline the onboarding process.
Here are some of our tips to create an efficient, effective, structured, and welcoming new beginning that’ll make a positive lasting impression:
Have everything the employee will need ready before they come in.
A new employee means a new email account, paperwork, equipment, and potentially other accounts on your software. Depending on what it is, this can take some time to set up. If there’s anything that needs employee input that isn’t private, ask them ahead of time. Spending hours filling out new paperwork isn’t ideal, so have as much filled out on your end as you can. If possible, you can even send over some paperwork electronically for them to fill in before their first day and schedule some time to discuss it on that first day. If they’re working remotely anyway, it just makes sense.
If they’re coming into the office, this is still a good idea so they can start meeting their fellow employees as soon as possible. Set up as much of their workstations as you can, including whatever stationery and other equipment you think they’ll need for their tasks.
If you haven’t already, look into tech tools to streamline the setup process. Document signing tools such as Docusign make it easy to share and sign paperwork digitally while LastPass can help the employee organize the passwords for all of their accounts. If you need extra help with payroll, check out your options.
If you’ve got quite a few steps before the new hire is settled in, organize all this info in a checklist that you can share with them! This will make the process easier for you each time around too!
Establish a supportive, accessible social network.
Speaking of meeting their fellow employees, have your employees formally introduce themselves, discuss their role, and how they can help the new hire. This way, your new employee knows where to direct their questions and concerns and can feel supported without you around. A strong social network is key to making a solid first impression and establishing yourself as a business that cares about employee well-being. It’ll also help them understand the organization of your workplace.
Don’t forget to plan for a situation where nearly no one’s available. Show them where they can access information if no one’s available to respond right away. This is especially important if you’re working remotely. If you haven’t done this already, make sure the appropriate means are in place for employees to easily socialize with one another. Instant messaging software Slack has been a must-have for many businesses.
Consider what issues you’ve had in your past onboarding processes.
What issues have you had with orientating previous employees? Ask your current employees for honest feedback for what you could have done better the first time and how you can improve. Write this down to make sure you do a better job with the new hire. If you notice a pattern, such as frequently asked questions, consider putting together an FAQ section in your employee handbook.
Check in with them every once in a while.
Establish a check-in schedule that makes sense for you and let them know that you’ll be asking about their experience. This can take place via formal meetings, emails, or just informal questions as you’re just making conversation during lunch or over an instant message. Tell them to be as open and honest as possible so you can do your best to ensure their experience is up to their expectations.
Yes, this does sound easier said than done -- you’ll need to establish that you and your team will be open to hearing their opinions, even if they’re negative. Show openness, consideration, and empathy so that they feel inspired to come forward with their thoughts.
Familiarize them with your customers.
Even if you already told them who your customers are and to do their own research, still show them what they can’t see from the customer’s website. This usually means the communications and relationship between you and the customer, such as a contract and previous work done. Make sure the employee understands your company’s place with that customer, such as their expectations and deliverables. This is especially important if they’re working a customer-facing position.
Have them shadow someone.
A great way to make their role and responsibilities crystal clear is to have them shadow someone they can easily work with that’s in a similar role. Assign them to other employees for an hour or two each so they can further break the ice, establish mentorship, and learn their new role in depth in a short amount of time. Of course, make sure this isn’t cutting too much into the work of the others. Ask the assigned employees what time would be best for them to be shadowed.
If you’re working remotely, you can have the shadowed employee send over their completed work. The employees can schedule short virtual mentorship and check-in sessions with each other before, in between, or after completing their assignments.
What steps have you taken to make sure a new hire’s journey is off to a fantastic start? What thoughts do you have on reducing employee turnover? Let us know in the comments below or send us an email!
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About Stingray Advisory Group LLC: Stingray Advisory Group LLC is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is a proud member of Local First and the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. We help businesses grow. By creating customized solutions, we empower businesses and entrepreneurs with the tools to further their development.
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