Impress New Hires with These New-Employee-Orientation Best Practices

Not enough has been made of the first day of work. It’s a day of firsts that might be better described as a day that inspires excitement and anxiety. New employees are often met with a mountain of paperwork from HR. They’re given the ambitious task of remembering all of their coworkers’ names while they stumble across an unfamiliar workspace and office. Undoubtedly you don’t want your new hires to feel this way on their first day. So, what’s the solution? Follow these new-employee-orientation best practices. Use our tips below to improve the employee-handbook template used at your office.

Proper onboarding matters more than you think. New employees who experience a positive onboarding process are 69 percent more likely to stay with the company after three years than those who don’t get the same treatment. And if you don’t roll out the welcome mat, you can expect to lose plenty of employees. In fact, up to 20 percent of employees will bail within the first 45 days if they’re not made to feel welcome and adequately prepared.

So, how can you make sure your new hires stick with the company (so you can avoid the cost of replacing them)? These new-employee-orientation best practices will help!

Welcome to Our Team—We’re Glad to Have You!

New-Employee-Orientation Best Practices, Part 1

When new employees walk through the door for their first day of orientation, they should feel welcome immediately (this, in fact, is best practices 101). What can you do to welcome your new employees? Set up their desks for them. Buy them a Starbucks latte. Place some chocolates or a treat on their desks. As soon as they get settled, have a senior team member take them on a tour of the office. Introduce them to everyone—even if the new hires won’t be working directly with the entire staff. A few extra friendly faces will only increase the job satisfaction of your new hires.

Citizens of Culture-Land, Unite!

New-Employee-Orientation Best Practices, Part 2

Have you ever walked into a restaurant and realized you’re wildly over (or under) dressed? It’s embarrassing, to say the least. Don’t leave your new employees to figure out the culture of the office on their own—explain it to them!

Does everyone eat lunch together in the break room on Monday, followed by a lively game of foosball? Inform your new hires of this office custom. Does your office shun casual Friday and embrace Wacky Wednesday? Your newest team members will be perplexed when they see their boss wearing his pinwheel hat midweek if they’re unprepared.

Take time to go over the office culture—whatever that may be—with your new employees. It will make them feel like a part of the team.

Better to Trust the Process

New-Employee-Orientation Best Practices, Part 3

The clear rules of procedures can ensure good outcomes. Procedures dictate how new hires should do their jobs—and they can be lifesavers in certain situations. Give new employees a step-by-step, repeatable set of instructions, and this will ensure consistent results across the board.

Consider creating an employee handbook of procedures that includes the following in your template:

• Phone-use instructions
• Message-taking protocol
• Department phone lists
• IT tips and contact information
• Department meetings
• Job-specific information
• Key terms and/or lingo
• Emergency contacts

Your employee handbook of office procedures can be used time and time again, just by creating a simple template. You can tailor this handbook template for new employees and for different departments.

New-Hire Checklist

New-Employee-Orientation Best Practices, Part 4

• Set up their desks: office supplies, office procedures manual, welcome gift, etc.
• Introduce them to the team: management, HR, team members, other employees.
• Provide information about the office culture: special days, lunch/break protocol, etc.
• Embrace the buddy system: find people who can be responsible for answering questions and helping out as your new hires acclimate.
• Set goals, expectations, and milestones for the first 30, 60, and 90 days.

Proper onboarding is crucial for retention and employee engagement. When you wow them from the moment they walk in the door, they’ll be more likely to stick around!