Starting a job at a new company can create anxiety for even the most confident and successful professional. At the forefront, both parties want to feel that they made the right decision in choosing to work together. Here are some ways a hiring manager can make new employees feel welcome while helping them integrate into the organization.
Keep in touch with the employee for the period between when the offer is accepted and the first day on the job. Check in with the hires once a week before they start the job. This will continue building rapport while making the hiring manager available to answer any questions before the new employee starts. It will also serve as a deterrent if the hire has another employment offer that surfaces before their start date.
Human Resources will probably be communicating with the employee about the formal aspects of working for the company, such as understanding benefits and attending a new employee orientation or onboarding program.
Equally important is the orientation to the informal aspects of working for the company and understanding its culture. For instance, how important is reporting to work at a particular time? In some companies, it is a business expectation; in others, it is not an issue as long as work assignments get done on time. Are their unwritten rules about dress, behavior and other expectations? What are the president’s pet peeves?
A successful first week is the hiring manager’s responsibility. Plan for it. Create a schedule or agenda that highlights important meetings or events new hires should plan to attend. Have someone give an orientation to the basics to function: phone, voice mail and computer systems.
Provide new hires with an overview of work and projects in process that they should know about early on. Be sure to schedule individual meetings with the hiring manager and separately with peers. Don’t schedule too tightly; however, as the hires will need time to meet people and find their way around on their own.
Spend time with the hire to talk about management styles and the preferred way of working. Is the hiring manager a stickler for detail? Prefer that employees work autonomously and communicate only status and special challenges? Are there weekly staff meetings? A structured agenda, or do people informally share and discuss issues? How are employees given feedback? This early communication will help everyone in the long run.
If the person will have management or supervisory responsibility, take time to meet with the staff to let them know about their new boss and what they should be expecting. If there will be a delay until the manager comes on board, who can the employees go to with questions or problems? Whatever you can do to lessen the anxiety of these reports during their transition will make things easier for the new person and ultimately for the hiring manager as well.
Be sure to have some structured sit-down time to talk about performance expectations and goals. Assess what supplemental training and resources the person will need in their first six months to be supported for success. Let the person know when the formal review for performance feedback and/or salary increases will be. Be clear about what is expected and, when possible, give specific quantitative goals and time frames which reflect the “trickle-down” of departmental and organizational objectives.
