5 Effective Ways to Welcome New Employees During Onboarding

Joining a new workplace can be a daunting experience for any employee. Quite often, the standard onboarding process of paperwork, office tours, and introductions all around doesn’t help make it any easier.

Luckily, this doesn’t have to be the case. As their supervisor or HR manager, there are plenty of things you can do to make sure their first impression is a great one. Here are five really simple ways to welcome new employees:

1. Give Them a Buddy or Mentor

Asking for help isn’t always easy — especially when you’re new in a role and not quite sure who to ask. By pairing up your new hire with a buddy or mentor, you give them an easy and informal point of contact for all their questions. Not only that, but you ensure that they can learn on the job as well.

When assigning a mentor, The Balance suggests that mentors:

• Are experienced employees
• Do not hold a reporting relationship with the new employee
• Call the new hire before the start date

Be sure that the responsibilities and goals for new hire mentors align with your company’s overarching mentorship program. An easy way of doing so is by opening up communication between all program stakeholders.

2. Be Ready for Them

Have their workspace ready for them when they arrive and make sure everyone working in their department knows to expect them. It’s amazing what a difference it can make to be greeted with a smile of recognition and a waiting desk rather than a blank look and a supervisor scrambling to find a place to put you.

Take preparation a step forward with new hire traditions. One way to welcome new employees is by providing donuts or bagels for the team first thing in the morning. This familiarizes the new employee with both their work area and team members in an informal way.

Welcome traditions are a great way to immerse new employees into the company culture. A Thursday night happy hour is one such opportunity. New employees can socialize with colleagues outside of their department — educating themselves on others’ responsibilities, communication styles, and even attitudes towards work.

3. Have a Short, but Productive First Week

New hires are best introduced midway through the week so that their first stint on the job is shorter and less overwhelming than a regular working week. Avoid the temptation to make their first few days just about filling in their paperwork and getting them on board, though.

Giving your new hire a manageable but useful task to accomplish during their first few days will boost their confidence way more than a couple of days of introductory busywork.

4. Ask Them for Their Feedback

Once they’ve settled in a little, ask them for their feedback about the onboarding process and the workplace environment in general.

Not only does this show that you respect their opinions and consider them already a member of the team, but it gives you the opportunity to catch any little wrinkles in the process and make sure you iron them out before your next new employee arrives.

5. Don’t Forget Employee Welcome Kits

One of the easiest ways to onboard employees is with a welcome kit consisting of company information and branded swag.

• Handwritten welcome note
• Employee handbook
• Stationery, notecards, and pens
• A fun fact sheet about the company and team
• Local restaurant suggestions
• Swag like shirts, hats, or water bottles

Lastly, don’t forget your remote workers! Sending remote team members a welcome kit shows that your company values all employees — even the ones separated by a screen!

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