1. Be Communicative

Once the contract has been signed and a commencement date agreed, the real work starts. Although your new team member may be busy working through their notice period, this is still a vital time for building your future working relationship.

Check-in with your new starter regularly throughout this period, either by phone or email, to keep them engaged and pave the way for a smooth transition. You can offer to share important updates on the projects they’ll be working on, or simply invite them to a social event such as a team lunch.

This will help them to feel part of the team before they join and can alleviate any first-day anxiety or nerves. It will also help them hit the ground running, now equipped with some background knowledge of the team and their work.

2. Remove Logistical Barriers 

When your new employee walks through the door on their first day, there should be no confusion about where they go or who they meet.

As a hiring manager juggling your core duties alongside an onboarding process, you might delegate the setup of passwords, workstations, and security access to a team member. If you do, don’t forget to confirm these tasks are done before the new hire starts.

New hires should also receive company protocols and policies on the first day, or even via email in advance. This can cover information such as start and finish times, breaks, rules for internet use and specific emergency procedures.

3. Introduce New Faces

As a manager, it’s your job to create a welcoming work environment. We suggest you start by having a meeting with the entire team well before your new employee starts to give them some background on their new colleague.

On day one, organise a team meeting or morning tea to formally introduce them to their colleagues. We also recommend introducing new employees to a buddy or mentor to whom they can direct their questions during their transition period.

If your new hire is at managerial level, it’s likely you’ll brief other senior staff or board members of the appointment and share details of their work history in the form of a brief bio. And don’t forget to inform external stakeholders including clients and suppliers.

Remember, your new employee may feel overwhelmed by so many new names and faces, so also providing them with an org chart would be helpful. This will make the process of learning names and titles easier, and it is something they can do in their own time.

4. Highlight the Big Picture

Regardless of skill, role type or previous experience, all new staff should go through an orientation process in their first week. This is an important step for the individual to understand where they fit into the broader organisation and establish them firmly in the company’s unique culture.

Orientations should focus on the company’s purpose and vision, providing a better understanding of the organisation and how their role will contribute to the bigger picture. Make sure they know the key people leading the business, such as the CEO or Board members.

Remember that the first week can be daunting and often an information overload, so help them prioritise what they need to focus on first. Encourage them to come to you or their buddy with questions and queries as they arise.

5. Check-In Regularly and Set Goals

Scheduling daily catch-ups with new employees will give you an indication of how they are transitioning into their new role and team. Whether you take them out for a coffee or have a quick chat each morning, these frequent meetings will help you promptly address any red flags, doubts, or queries. Use these check-ins to set goals for them for their first days, weeks, and months.

6. Remote Workers Need Onboarding, Too 

Remote working is nothing new, but organisations can still get tripped up by a poor onboarding process for remote teams. 

Here are the key considerations when devising a remote onboarding process:  

• Prepare thoroughly in advance. Have the usual welcome collateral as well as any logins or hardware provided to the candidate before their start date.
• Keep it manageable. Day one is the start of a new journey for both employer and employee, with that energy and eagerness to get started, there can be a temptation to pack the schedule from the get-go. Information overload can occur very easily within a remote context, so limit your day-one video sessions to the essentials and plan regular breaks.
• Maximise facetime with new colleagues. Remote workers can miss out on the incidental and ad-hoc encounters that are a feature of office life. To compensate, ensure you carve out time for new team members to get acquainted with everyone via video. Try to make it more social than a formal meeting.

The Importance of Onboarding Best Practices

A new employee will typically make a judgment call during their first week whether they made the right choice to take the new job. Not putting enough time into your onboarding processes may cost you a new and valuable employee. On the flip side, getting the first few weeks right can pave the way for a long and successful time together!

Create a checklist using our onboarding steps above and you will do much to instil confidence in your new employee – and help them get productive sooner

Get Onboarding Right with a Technology Recruitment Agency

As a technology recruitment agency that regularly onboards multiple contractors and permanent hires into new positions. Emanate Technology has a rigorous onboarding process to ensure nothing is overlooked. 

For help with securing top talent for your team, accompanied by supportive onboarding, contact us today. We’d love to help.