After you successfully recruit a highly sought-after job candidate, you can be left feeling like you just ran a marathon — accomplished and excited, but exhausted. So when you find the right fit, you don’t want a poor onboarding experience to make your new employee think they chose the wrong employer.
Skilled workers are in high demand, and they know it. If they start questioning your firm’s competency so quickly, they may not wait around to see if the situation improves. In today’s market, a new recruit may jump ship just to see if another employer can offer a better fit.
The importance of Week One
The reality is that you don’t know for sure if the newly minted employee is fully committed to their new work situation. Change is hard and stressful for everyone. People navigating a new work environment are bound to feel like a fish out of water. There’s also a chance the employee is wistful for their old job and missing former colleagues. Another possibility: They might still be thinking about another employment opportunity they were pursuing.
The best way to show new employees your firm is the right place for them is to have a strong onboarding process in place. Good or bad, you make lasting impressions in those first few days, so it’s essential to keep emphasizing to your new hire that they are in the right place. Don’t let them doubt for a second that your company is excited to have them on the team.
Here’s some advice for doing week-one onboarding the right way.
Lay the groundwork early
Before your new employee even starts, there’s a lot you can do to make sure they’re feeling confident about their new path.
For example, call them or send a quick email to tell them how glad the team is to have them on board. Use that time to provide an overview of what they can expect on their first day (“We’re taking you out to lunch so you can get to know everyone.”) and during the first week (“There’s an all-hands meeting on Wednesday, and it’ll be a great opportunity for you to learn about the company and department.”)
Consider sending your new hire any paperwork they can fill out ahead of time so they don’t have to spend most of their first day on the job meeting with human resources. Also, forward any work materials they can review in advance so they can get up to speed on their new role and better understand expectations. Include an organizational chart that highlights key people they’ll be working with.
Don’t forget to reach out to your existing staff during this time, too. Update them about the new hire’s professional background and how they will be contributing to the team.