Your New Hire Starts Monday. Now What?
You’ve been trying to fill this role for weeks. Candidates have no-showed, your team has been covering the gap, and then you finally hear that YES! Someone wants to join your team!
It’s easy to breathe a sigh of relief and let everything else slide. But accepting the offer is just the beginning. A little preparation can help your new employee feel welcome and give them a clear place to start.
I always say, what do you want your employee to go home and tell their family and friends about their new job? That the day felt scattered and disorganized? Or that they’re excited because this place has its %*&# together? That first impression starts before they even walk through the door.
1. Send a Welcome Email
Don’t leave them wondering what Monday looks like. Send a friendly email with their arrival time, where to park, what to wear, what to bring, whether they should pack a lunch, and who to ask for when they arrive. Include any paperwork they can complete ahead of time and a contact person for questions.
I am a huge fan of paperless onboarding through your HR system. Save a tree and some time! Just make sure they know what to complete and when, so their first morning isn’t spent working through a pile of forms.
2. Get Ready Before They Arrive
Have their workspace, equipment, system access, and training materials ready. Nobody wants to spend their first morning watching you search for a spare laptop and dusting off an old desk. Test their logins ahead of time, too. Having a computer is great. Being able to use it is even better.
Make sure your current team is prepared to welcome them. Send a message introducing your new hire ahead of time, share what their role will be, and decide who will help them get settled. Anyone involved in training should know what they’re covering and have time set aside for it.
3. Give the First Day Some Structure
They don’t need to learn everything on day one. Plan time for introductions, a tour, essential paperwork, HR orientation, and an overview of their role. Talk through the basics: what their schedule looks like, how training will work, and who to go to with questions.
And please, tell them how lunch works. The little things can feel surprisingly awkward when you’re new. No one wants to be looking at the clock at noon, starving, wondering if they are going to get a chance to eat.
Give them room to take things in. A full day of information doesn’t mean they’ll remember all of it, so make sure they have something to refer back to.
4. Follow Up
Check in at the end of the first day and again during the first week. Ask what’s clear, what’s confusing, and what they need more help with. A quick “How’s it going?” is a start, but specific questions give you more useful information. Try asking, “Is there anything you’ve been asked to do that you don’t feel ready for yet?”
I am also a huge fan of a schedule for the first couple of weeks, even if it includes reviewing materials on their own or shadowing another team member. Let them know what they can work on during downtime so they aren’t sitting there wondering what to do or whether they should interrupt someone again.
It can be hard to find great people, so setting them up for success is absolutely crucial. You worked hard to get that yes. Give them a reason to feel good about saying it.
How is your onboarding program? Let’s chat!