On the First Day
New hires typically decide within the first 30 days whether they want to stay in their new position. Invest time and effort now!
A new employee’s arrival on the first day is a big deal. Being prepared by ensuring their workspace is set up with everything they need, introducing them to their colleagues and providing a warm welcome makes your new hire feel valued. Plan for the first day so they settle in comfortably by making sure they have someone to eat lunch with, show them the break room and/or figure out email. Even if you cannot personally assist with all of Day 1, be sure you have a Peer Partner or team member assigned to help their new colleague navigate their new environment.
Tour
Take the new employee on a tour of their workspace, any nearby groups, or even of the larger operation and introduce them to their colleagues. This can also be handled by their Peer Partner.
Team Details
Let your new employee know with whom they will be working closely with by preparing an information packet of the key team members. You can use an organization chart or a list of names and titles, but consider providing photos and a brief description of their role in the department. Walk through the materials to help the new employee remember team members and also have a positive first impression. Hearing you explain the importance of each team member sets a great tone and will help the new employee feel engaged and excited about meeting their colleagues.
First One-On-One Meeting
Spend some time sharing your vision for the team. What are you attempting to accomplish and achieve as the leader?
Share your department’s core values, mission statement, strategic goals and explain how this is important to you, as the leader and how they reflect the University mission and goals. Explain how their role and work will help realize these goals.
Support new hires by placing them on the path to high performance by clearly outlining their role in the organization and how their work will be evaluated.
Quick Wins
Identify a few short goals the new hire should be able to quickly achieve. It is important for a new member to have some initial successes even if some goals and projects may take substantially more time. Building a quick record of demonstrable progress and success will help the new employee feel both empowered and capable.
Wrap up Administrative Tasks
Allow for time for the new employee to complete any outstanding paperwork, enrollment or organizational tasks. This can be done in the middle of the day to give the new hire a short break from taking in new information.
Express Genuine Interest in the New Employee as a Person
If you are able to take the new employee to lunch on the first day (solo or with other members of the team), spend some time getting to know the individual. If they are new to the area, find out what they like to do in their free time and offer suggestions for places to go and things to do around town (a list of restaurants, museums, and parks is a good idea). Give them time to talk about themselves, which will make them feel more comfortable. Expressing interest and getting to know your new employee is a good investment of time and energy.
End of Day Check In
Check in with your new employee toward the end of the day. Ask them how everything went, whether any additional questions have come up. Thank them again for accepting the position and express your excitement for them being here. Acknowledge that the first day, week, even first several months will require some adjusting. Express your optimism that they will settle in and do a great job. Make sure they head out at the end of the day feeling like they made the right choice and had a fine first day.