Five Tips For Making New Employees Feel Welcomed
When employees feel welcomed and valued within their organization, they’re more likely to be engaged with their work and company culture, thus bringing a multitude of benefits to the organization – from attracting new talent to longer retention rates, and everything in between. This means it’s an organization’s job to ensure all employees feel welcomed, starting from the moment they accept a position.
With this in mind, below are five ways your organization can welcome new employees, starting from their first day.
Share the news of their arrival
Let your new employees know you’re excited for them to join the team by sharing the news of their arrival with internal and external audiences. Get creative with introducing them to other employees and external clients or stakeholders through emails, newsletters, or social media posts. For example, sharing a photo of the new employee, some background information on their new position or past experiences, and even a fun fact about them can not only help the new hire feel more welcomed in the workplace and introduce existing employees to their new teammate, but it can also give external audiences the chance to gain an inside look to your company’s culture, and view your business as more than just another company.
Welcome package
An employee welcome package can represent a new beginning for a new hire and give them a sense of belonging to their new organization. For example, a few pieces of branded company gear like office supplies, apparel, and drinkware are practical ways employees can proudly show off their affiliation. As an added bonus, new employees that use these materials outside of the office are like a walking testimonial to great company culture!
Organize a team lunch
Treating new employees to a team lunch allows them to interact with their coworkers in a more casual setting. It can build team morale and give all employees the opportunity to learn more about one another, build a rapport, and strengthen workplace friendships. Plus, it can show your new hire the focus your organization puts on having a work-life balance and enforces the importance of stepping away from their desk and taking a break.
Give a tour of the office
It’s often estimated the average person will spend about 90,000 hours of their lifetime at work. This means as new hires get ready to spend a considerable amount of their time at work, it’s essential they have a thorough understanding of the space they will be working in and that they're comfortable enough to navigate their way around that space. In other words, you’ll want to ensure new hires are given a thorough tour of the office – not only where their desk will be, but also the kitchen, dining area, cafeteria, restrooms, meeting rooms, break rooms, etc. that may be used on a daily basis.
Make introductions
Being the newbie in an established team can be intimidating, especially for new hires that may have a hard time introducing themselves to new people every day. Take the uncertainty and fear out of the situation for your new hire by introducing them to their fellow coworkers, whether it’s done initially on their first day or gradually before meeting or collaborating with different teammates. For introverted employees that may have trouble putting themselves out there and making connections on their own, being confident that they will be introduced can make all the difference.
Still looking for the right candidate to welcome to the team? Our experienced hiring experts are here to help! Take the first step and contact Nexus today.