First day at work is always a bit overwhelming, confusing and challenging for the new recruit. How comfortable does a company make a new employee feel on his/ her first few days at work, says a lot about how much it values its employees. If new employees are taken care of on their first few days and made to feel comfortable in the new environment, they will start their new job on a positive note. Taking care of employees means ultimately pushing for better work productivity. A positive and happy employee will always work better than an employee who isn’t taken care of. The practise of valuing and taking care of your employees should start from day one of all employees.
Here are some tips on how you can make a new employee feel comfortable on his/ her first few days at work.
- Welcome Tradition
It’s always a good idea to make an employee feel welcome with a small gesture. You can have a welcome basket with some quirky goodies like stationary, cookies, juices etc., things that he/ she can use in office. You can also have a small team building activity where all the team members get together and introduce themselves to the new employee and vice versa. Not only will a welcome tradition calm down the nerves of the anxious, new employee but it will also be a great way to introduce the new recruit to the rest of the team and vice versa.
- Buddy System
The buddy system is a great way to get a new employee acquainted with the office and the workings of an organisation. Assign any member of the team as a buddy to the new employee. This buddy will be the go to person for the new employee in case of any doubts or questions. This system will help the employee get a hang of things quickly. Knowing that there is a person assigned to address all your questions and help you with understanding the work, will make the employee feel more confident in the new environment and hence, make it easy to learn things.
- Celebrate Small Achievements
In the first few weeks or maybe at the end of the employee’s first month at the new job, have a small celebration. You can celebrate the first month of the employee with an away day where you treat the entire team to lunch or have some outdoor team activities. Celebrating small achievements of a new employee like the first month at the job or first project completion, will get the new employee well settled into the job. It will also be a great way to get the team to bond over each other’s achievements. A team which celebrates each other’s small achievements will always work better together and look out for one another.
- Ask Them How They’re Doing
A lot of new employees may be introverts or just hesitant to speak up and talk. To ensure that their shy nature doesn’t get in the way of them learning about their work or clarifying their doubts, walk up to them and ask them how they’re doing. You should do this on a daily basis at least for the first week, after which you can make it a weekly affair. New employees can have the smallest of doubts regarding the office rules or face big challenges about the work assigned to them. It’s always a good idea to let them know by your behaviour and conversations that you are just a shout away for them.
- Ask Them For Their Ideas
Let your new employee feel a part of the organisation and the team by asking them for their opinions on things. You can ask them for feedback about the recruiting process or the office culture. New ideas from different perspectives will always be a great boost for your company. Employees can have a lot of inputs and ideas for the company or the work they’re doing, so you should always give them a platform to speak up.
Conclusion
Making a new employee feel comfortable on their first day at a new job will leave a positive, lasting impression on him/ her. You don’t want the employee to feel left out or ignored on his/ her first day. So, make sure that there’s lots of positive and welcoming vibes in the office and among the team members for the new recruit joining them. It’s also a great idea to conduct different types of team building activities to refresh the team bonding.
