When you work for a company, you will often meet newly hired employees. Usually the most you’ll do is give the person a smile, give him a cursory greeting, welcome and well wishes and leave it at that. But what we often forget is that these new employees may feel overwhelmed by the new office environment and culture. As the established veterans in the company or as managers, we should also take it upon ourselves to help the new employee ease into this new environment.
Here are some things you can do to help make a new employee feel welcome:
• Contact your office receptionist and ask them to welcome the new employee. This is usually the responsibility of the reception people anyway so this is not a big stretch. They can lead the new employee on a tour of the office and introduce him to his new officemates. If the company is too large then introducing him to the departments that he will be closely involved with will be a good first step.
• Make an official announcement about the new employee. It can be as simple as putting up an announcement on the company bulletin board or issuing a memo that will sent to all of the employees. The announcement should include the new employee’s position and his responsibilities.
• It would be a good idea to have the CEO spend a little time with the new employee. A short meeting where the CEO can welcome the new hire and exchange a few pleasantries will be a great boost to the new hire and give him the feeling that he is an important asset to the company. That there is a great motivational move.
• Don’t leave the employee groping on his first day. Provide him with the information he needs so he won’t feel overwhelmed on his first day. If your company has an employee manual, give him a copy. If you don’t, then a short orientation will be sufficient.
• Make him spend time with his immediate superior. His boss can then provide him with the information he needs regarding his job. They can discuss his responsibilities and give him a better view of the tasks he will be expected to do.
• Don’t leave the employee hanging during lunch or coffee breaks. One of the most awkward moments for a new employee is not having anyone to talk or have lunch with. Make him feel welcome by inviting him to lunch or just talking to him when he’s on his break.
Image from hr.fiu.edu
On the first day of my very first job after college, a co-worker invited me to join him and his friends for lunch. They passed on invaluable information like… where the best coffee shops were, what food to never order at the cafeteria, and where to get parking. 🙂