10 Tips to Engage New Hires - ApplicantStack
The article "10 Tips to Engage New Hires" from ApplicantStack emphasizes the importance of a supportive onboarding experience by recommending practices such as preparing for new employees before day one, enthusiastically introducing company culture and perks, and pacing information delivery to avoid overwhelming new hires, all aimed at improving engagement and readiness in their new roles.
New hires at a company face a variety of challenges from the first day. No matter how excited or prepared someone might feel to start a new job, they need an onboarding experience that engages and supports them. According to a recent Gallup poll, only 12 percent of new employees “strongly agree their organization does a great job of onboarding new employees,” leaving a whopping 88 percent less than thrilled. Even after onboarding, only 29 percent say they feel fully prepared and supported for their new role. Clearly there is room for improvement in setting up new hires for success. Here are ten tips to engage your new employees right from the start.
Prepare in advance of day one
Sometimes called “pre-boarding,” this practice refers to actively preparing for an employee’s first day well in advance. This may look like blocking off the team’s schedule for an introductory meeting in person or on a call, gathering documents like company manuals, benefits information or contracts, and having computers ready to hand off. These actions show the new employee you’ve anticipated the basics of starting the job, which can quell some first-day nerves.
Introduce company culture and perks
It’s likely a new employee is somewhat familiar with what their new workplace has to offer, but now’s your time to enthusiastically sell the culture, benefits, and perks. Provide them with any literature or links to manuals. For a worker in the office, show them the locations of break rooms or complimentary food or drinks. Help them feel confident to access any generous office perks.
Be careful of giving too much information at once
Even as you want to show all the company has to offer, watch for cues that a new hire may be overwhelmed by the amount of information presented. Adjust for different personalities and preferences and have a flexible plan for extending onboarding activity timelines. You may want to schedule future meetings for delivering the whole onboarding package.
Prepare for interruptions
Even with best intentions, work tasks may demand the attention of those employees providing onboarding training. Illness or emergencies may call people away from the office. Be prepared with backup plans like other team members stepping in or a Plan B schedule so the process can go as smoothly as possible while still meeting work deadlines. It’s important to never make the new employee feel like a burden or a distraction.
Spend some time getting to know the individual
Help a new employee feel like their personality is just as valuable as the work they will offer. Again, watching for cues that they may feel overwhelmed on day one, find some one-on-one time to get to know some things about the new employee. Always be watchful that these informal conversations don’t veer into potentially inappropriate topics for the workplace, like politics, religion, health, or comments about bodies, even seemingly positive ones. Appropriate topics may include hobbies, pets, family, travel, places you’ve lived, music, literature, or art.
Change your definition of onboarding
If onboarding feels like a first day or first week event only, it might be worth reconsidering the definition. According to a study conducted by the Academy to Innovate HR, 48 percent of HR professionals believe onboarding should last at least three months. How that three month period looks will be different for every industry, but broadening the definition can help your company really perfect the process and lessen some of the initial pressure to cram everything into a short timeframe. 30 percent of the employees surveyed by AIHR said they preferred a more gradual onboarding, which takes us back to tip 3: build in some flexibility to help each individual receive an onboarding experience that helps them feel valued and engaged.
Assign a mentor or office buddy
Ideally, a new hire could be paired with someone from their department or team as a go-to resource. This person should be friendly and open to answering questions about working styles, company culture, dress code, start and end times, lunch break habits, and other company behaviors that can be intimidating when someone first starts work. They may be able to make introductions to other co-workers and help a new hire feel welcomed.
Connect often, and in a variety of ways
After the new hire is sent on their way to work on the first tasks, make sure the onboarding team members check in at appropriate intervals. This may come in the form of a call, a quick stop in the hallway, a text message, an email, or a lunch meeting. While you don’t want the new employee to feel overly managed, it’s likely they will have questions or concerns that arise over time. Being proactive about ongoing contact can give a new employee a safe space to bring up those issues.
Schedule follow-up meetings with a purpose
In addition to those initial connections in the first few weeks, your company’s onboarding process could include follow-ups at pre-arranged intervals. Though each employee may have slightly different needs, having an agenda for follow-ups can help keep focus and help each person attending be prepared. For example, if your company has a waiting period to enroll in the health plan, a follow-up meeting could take place just before that period ends to provide an overview or help them fill out the appropriate forms. You may also want to find out how the new hire is connecting with supervisors or team members. If the employee reveals interpersonal conflict, early intervention can aid with retention and shows the new employee their value.
Set new hires up for success
Consulting with team members and supervisors, you can identify first work tasks that help the new employee find success while still getting to know how the company runs. This may not be the time for long-term projects that require intense collaboration; maybe first assignments could have more easily attainable objectives or shorter deadlines.
First interactions at a new company can make or break the working relationship with a new employee. Thoughtful and organized engagement strategies can help a new hire feel like a valuable part of the team from the start.
With ApplicantStack, you can ensure a consistent and engaging onboarding process for every new hire. Explore how this solution simplifies getting your new employees up to speed quickly and efficiently.
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