Onboarding: making a great impression
Many of us have interviewed for and started a new job. Not everyone. Some people knew of their entrepreneurial spirit right from the off and dived straight into their businesses, but for the majority we applied for ads (from the newspaper once upon a time if you’re as old as me – or older!) We put on our best suits, went nervously to the office for the interview – often sat in reception eyeing up other candidates (aka competition) – and then waited for the call.
And when it comes its such a good feeling! Success! We have a new job! Hopefully taking us up that career ladder with more responsibility, more job satisfaction – and maybe more money.
And then we wait.
It could be a month, or longer, before we start with a new employer and during that time, whilst (hopefully) we’re excited, there are also going to be nerves. What will my new manager be like? Will I get on with them? Will I like my new colleagues? What will happen on day one? What will my first week be like? So many questions!!
For me – I think this period is one of the best times to cement that good impression you have hopefully given during the interview process and start to create the bond with your new team member. I regularly tell clients that when someone walks through that door (or logs on, on that first morning if you’re remote) yes there may be nerves, but the overwhelming feeling should be excitement!
How do we do that?
Communication is key. Make sure you have shared contact details for their line manager and/or another point of contact so if they do have any questions they know how to get an answer. You may want to do a short video selfie with a welcome message on! And don’t just wait for them. Reach out and remind them how excited you are that they’re joining you. Share any news around what’s going on. Any company events coming up that will impact them. Help them start to feel included.
Create an induction pack. Think about all the details someone would want to know when joining a company and include these in the pack. An Org chat. Meet the team pics and mini bios. Include some FAQS such as where do I go on day one? How do I get my equipment? Is there somewhere to get lunch? What’s public transport or parking like? What do I wear?
Do you send any company merch? Many companies these days will have water bottles, notebooks, pens, t-shirts and other branded merch to share with their newbie. Maybe not a stress ball though - might not want to say ‘you’re gonna need this!’ before day one! It can be a nice idea to do a ‘welcome to your new job’ card or ecard signed by the team to say we can’t wait for you to join us!
Let them know what to expect. Sending an induction schedule of what the first couple of weeks will look like is a great way to calm the nerves. The week before they start the new line manager can call and discuss this with them to make sure everything is clear and that they know what to expect.
Arrange a buddy – and introduce them! If they are able to arrange a virtual chat before day one its another face (ideally in their team) for them to know in advance. New starters often don’t want to keep asking their manager questions, so having a buddy can really help them feel connected.
Pop a message onto your internal comms platform (Slack, Teams, intranet etc) to let people know that someone is starting so other colleagues know to expect them and can make the effort to say hi. It can also be a nice touch for other colleagues outside of the immediate team to drop a new starter an email before day one so it’s there when they log on saying ‘welcome – I’m looking forward to meeting you’.
Having that high level of engagement during that onboarding period that makes people realise as a Company you are organised, structured, have responded to any questions, provided them with sufficient information around what to expect and given them the ultimate confidence that they have made the right decision in joining your team!
That gap between offer and start date isn’t dead time — it’s a golden opportunity.
Ignore it, and your shiny new hire may turn up nervous (or not at all).
But nurture it? You’ll have someone walking in on day one already connected, confident, and ready to crack on.