So, the recruitment is over, the new candidate has been hired and the day of joining has approached. What’s next? On-boarding.
On-boarding is just as important as any other step in the hiring process. It has the power to make or break the career of the new candidate in your company. Research has shown that a candidate decides his/her commitment for a particular company within the first six months of joining. So, the first impression matters a lot.
Although new jobs are exciting, they can be challenging. The new candidate needs to acclimate to the new environment before setting on the road of progress. It is the duty of the HR department and the managers to help the candidate on his/her on-boarding journey. A few on-boarding steps that can make the new employee feel welcomed are:
1. Build a welcoming environment for the arrival of the new employee
Even before the new employee joins, let the team know about him/her. You can hold a meeting or communicate via email about the new employee, his/her qualification and the role that he/she is about to take up. This way, all the team members will be knowing about the new hire and there will be no question marks on their face when the new member actually joins.
2. Get the workstation and other necessities ready for the new employee
It always seems more impressive if everything is in place and sorted out before the new employee arrives. It shows that you are excited about the arrival of the employee and have taken the effort to make things simpler and more welcoming for him/ her.
3. A formal introduction and team get-together
After the employee joins, a formal introduction among the team members is always a good idea. This will help the people to know each other and the new member will surely feel more comfortable. A team get-together or lunch is also a good way to break the ice and help the employees to get comfortable with each other. Informal conversations will also make the new candidate feel at ease and more in control of the new place.
4. Assign a mentor to the new candidate
A new hire will surely have a lot of questions regarding the work and other things. Assign a mentor from the team who could guide the new candidate whenever needed. This helps in assuring the new candidate that his/her presence is important in the organization and all the problems will be sorted out well.
5. A welcome package is a good idea
A personalized welcome package with a card, bouquet and a pen can make the new candidate feel special. These gestures might seem small but they go a long way in motivating the new candidates and helping them to make a happy start.
6. Keep checking regularly
Even though you feel that the new candidate is well settled and everything is going at a good pace, it doesn’t hurt to drop by and say a hello. It shows that you care about the team members and are concerned about their feelings. It also helps to establish good relationships with the new candidate.
7. Training is important
Even though the new employee has previous experience in a similar kind of work, a training in the new organization will always help in knowing the same things with a different perspective. It helps the candidate to understand how things work in the new place and this will definitely help him/her to work in a better way.
On boarding surely calls for some extra effort from the HR department and managers, but it definitely goes a long way in sustaining the growth of the organization and reducing employee turnover.
