You like to think that your business does a fantastic job at making new employees feel welcome. While that’s likely the case, you may not have had a new employee for a while. If so, it never hurts to brush up on your welcoming skills as a company owner or manager.
Having new employees feel welcome at your place of business offers many advantages. They’ll be more eager to perform well, and it’ll be easier for them to fit in.
Besides that, it’ll improve your skills as a key person in your company. You’ll learn how to better care for your employees!
Make new hires enjoy their time in their new position by applying these tips.
1. Have Their Workspace Setup
No employee likes to arrive at an office space that’s in disarray. Even if the prior employee left the workspace messy doesn’t mean it should stay that way.
Before your employee starts, set up their office or cubicle. It should be clean, presentable, and make them feel welcome.
You can set out their materials on the desk for easy access. For example, you can include their employee handbook and a desk calendar.
If you want to take it one step further, give them a nice welcome gift. It could be a gift card to a local restaurant or movie tickets.
When the new employee sees their new space, they’ll feel appreciated. This, in turn, should result in them working even harder.
2. Give Them a Tour
A new employee will feel nervous on their first day. Part of this nervousness may stem from not being familiar with the office.
Even if you gave them a tour when they interviewed, show them around again.
There was likely a lot on their mind when they interviewed with you. So, getting them acquainted with the office again will refresh their mind. And in turn, they’ll become more familiar with their surroundings.
3. Introduce Them to Employees in Other Departments
While giving them a tour of the office, you can also introduce them to other employees.
Not only should they know people from within their department. Introducing them to other department employees is beneficial as well.
At some point, they’ll need to converse with someone about a task that pertains to them as well. Again, making introductions will make it easier for them to find and communicate with colleagues.
Besides, introducing them to other employees also builds up their confidence. They can connect with others and find out what they have in common.
4. Offer Different Forms of Job Training
Even though they’re well qualified, it doesn’t mean they don’t need training. Of course, their direct supervisor can provide excellent training.
But there are other ways to provide training as well. For example, as one of their sign-on perks, you could offer free online education. And, you can set them up with a mentor in-office.
A mentor doesn’t always have to work at your company, though. You may have someone else in mind who you feel would connect well with the new employee. If so, see if both parties would be open to it.
Offering other forms of job training and mentorships will only improve their skills. So it’s definitely something you shouldn’t forgo.
5. Make Them Feel Safe
If you have a big corporation, or even if you don’t, safety is essential in any workspace. So, ensure your employee feels safe while working.
Commercial security guards can make all the difference. With people going in and out of a busy business, guards can watch over the building. Their job is to look for any suspicious behaviors or threats. Occupational safety measures like encouraging the employee to use a safety alert app are also crucial
You may also want to offer security for employees who work late hours. Offering 24/7 security is vital. Having security personnel walk them to their car late at night can also make them feel safe.
Conclusion
New hires already feel overwhelmed as they start their new position. That’s why making the transition easier will mean a lot to them.
As mentioned, an employee that feels welcome will perform better at their job. And they’ll be more willing to go out on a limb to help other employees.
So, continue to think of ways to make new hires feel at home. Then, in the future, when they welcome new people, they’ll follow suit.