Help your new hire feel more comfortable with these tips.
Today’s guest blog post is courtesy James Mitchell who recently left a stressful career in finance because he wanted to find a more fulfilling pursuit. Today, he is working as a freelance consultant and enjoys volunteering for InternSolutions.net. He finds it very rewarding to connect young people with lucrative career opportunities. Thanks for your insight, James.
By James Mitchell
InternSolutions.net
Bringing new hires into your company is an important process. Not only does the company benefit from their knowledge and skills, but the new employee also benefits from the space where they can put those skills to work.
The first time they cross into your offices to work can be stressful for them. They might not know where their desk is, where to submit their reports, or even where the office printer is. As their employer and new boss, there are a several things you can do to make sure they feel welcome on their first day and start their journey to success in the company.
Introduce them to the office
The first thing you can help your new hire with after the initial introduction is take them on a small tour of the office. Introducing your employee to their new surroundings, as well as the common anomalies and oddities of the office, will help them get acclimated much faster according to answerquest.net. Point out where reports are dropped off, where extra supplies live, and even a nice spot outside where they can eat lunch. New employees will appreciate knowing where everything is, which gives them more time to work hard.
You can also show them around the more social aspects of the office, such as informing them how the office hierarchy works or even which of the employees brings snacks and candy for everyone. Showing your new hires the intricacies of the office will relieve at least some of their stress about the job and make them a more efficient worker.
Use the buddy system
It can be hard for new employees to get to know the people they work with. It can be even harder for new employees to ask these people for help. What if they think I’m not good at my job? they might think. I just started here! Those kind of thoughts can result in mistakes that could be avoided.
An easy solution to this is implementing a buddy system. Assign a seasoned employee as a mentor to your new hire to answer any questions they might have. The new employee gains a valuable resource for information, and the older employee gets to pass down some tips and tricks about the job. In addition to these benefits, you give your more experienced employees an active role in training the newer employees.
First-day gift basket
A gift basket on your new employee’s first day will certainly make them feel like a welcome addition to the company. You can fill the basket with necessary items for the job, like an extra pack of pencils or a USB drive with the company logo on it.
You can also add some “items unique” to the surrounding city. For example, if you happen to be located in Boston, you can include a coffee mug from a local gift shop or a gift certificate to a local restaurant.
The second point is especially important if your new hire is an out-of-towner; including little slices of the new and exciting city around them will encourage them to explore and become more comfortable in their new surroundings.
Invite them to happy hour before work
No, this doesn’t mean going to the bar before the workday starts. Everyone has a favorite bar they like to visit nearby their work. It gives them a chance to relax from the workday and unwind a little bit.
Before your new employee’s first day, invite them to happy hour with a few of their future co-workers. They get to meet your existing employees in a more social setting and make new friends faster.
When your new hire comes in on their first day, there’s already a familiarity with everyone, relieving the employee of a lot of stress on their first day. Meeting the other employees at happy hour also gives your new hire a preview into the culture of the office, helping them acclimate and adjust much faster.
Intern Solutions provides resources to improve your students’ job prospects and training for the career of their choice. Intern Solutions has practical tools to help employers find interns, manage interns, and even pay interns!
Photo by tpsdave
