How to properly welcome your employee to the company

In the crucial early stages of employment, a new employee will form important first impressions about their role, their co-workers and the company. An effective employee induction program helps to set a positive tone and reduces the time needed to settle into a new role, adjust to the team and become a productive member of the business.

Here are some tips to ensure that your new employee feels welcomed, informed, and positive about their decision to join your company:

Have a plan

Having a structured plan in place with deliverables for their first few weeks of work can make a potentially stressful time easier for your new starter. Decide in advance what they will do and whom they will meet, ensuring the plan covers all the critical meetings, training and duties they will need to undertake during the induction period. This will help your new employee to understand their role, where they fit into the company and their daily responsibilities.

Cover the basics

Paying attention to basic requirements will help their first day run smoothly and demonstrate that you have prepared for their arrival. Ensure their workspace is set up and that their login details, email address and security access is organised. Take them on a tour of the building, have them complete any necessary paperwork and talk through considerations such as company culture, work hours, dress codes and pay periods.

Be accessible

New starters will arrive with a number of questions about how to best perform their role and fit into the team culture. Encourage questions and schedule regular catch ups to demonstrate your interest in their progress and provide an opportunity for them to clarify any concerns. After the initial staff induction period their questions will change and mature, so be sure to remain accessible through scheduled meetings to help them progress in their role.

Focus on relationships

Key to your new starter’s success will be how well they integrate into the team and understand the organisational culture. Provide an overview of how the company works, including the attitudes and values that characterise its culture. Outline local and global reporting lines so they understand their relationship to key people. Proactively help them to develop relationships and contacts within the company to accelerate their sense of acceptance and belonging.

Give their role context

To help engage your new employee, it is important that they understand how their work fits into the bigger picture. Balance information about their daily tasks with an explanation on how their role contributes to the wider goals of the business. Explain the broader structure of the company so they understand where their position fits. This will also provide them with an insight into future career progression opportunities.