7 Brilliant Onboarding Ideas for New Hires
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Tons of people are job hunting and switching jobs these days, which also means that companies are doing a boatload of hiring and onboarding new employees.
Onboarding really effectively and making a great first impression on new hires is crucial. Doing it right sets the tone for that employee and sets everybody off on the right foot. Here are seven brilliant ways to onboard remote employees. *Pro tip: these are just as effective for in-person hires as well.
Here you are, in no particular order:
#1: Have them really meet the team.
I have a resource that I share with organizations, and use with my team that helps us understand what makes each other tick. It has a handful of personal & work related questions for each person to share about themselves.
Bring your team together for a conversation so that the team and your new hire can learn about each other. Here are some of my favorite questions from that. Take these and add some of your own as well:
How can the people you work with earn an extra gold star with you?
What are a couple of your quirks?
What’s the best way to give you feedback?
What things can frustrate you on teams?
What is something that you’re aware of that people can misunderstand about you and the way you show up?
Doing this means every time somebody a new person comes onto the team, they start off with an intentional conversation that says “Welcome to the team, let’s understand each other.”
#2: Meet the boss. Like the boss, boss.
I really love this one and would love to see more organizations do this:
Within the first week or so of bringing someone into the organization, have them meet with whomever is the highest leader in the entire organization in their function — that might be someone on the C-suite or the CEO, etc. Give that person a chance to make that connection and be introduced and hear “Welcome to the team,” and have a conversation.
Yes, yes, your executives are so busy an important (insert eye roll), they won’t have time for that.
Too busy for what? To make a huge impression on an employee?
“Just imagine the impact it has on a new employee to meet with and be welcomed to the team by the highest up leader in the entire company in their job role, or the CEO, right out of the gate.”
Just imagine the impact it has on a new employee to meet with and be welcomed to the team by the highest up leader in the entire company in their job role, or the CEO, right out of the gate.
And if you really want to do this right, have that senior person look at the new hire’s resume or learn a little from the person that hired them. That could make such an impression on a brand new employee—to be welcomed and introduced to the organization’s culture by a senior leader who took the time to learn something about them.
It’s a simple, free way to make a huge impact.
Obviously if you have 3,000+ employees this may not be 100% feasible. But you get the idea and the sentiment. Find a way to do something similar. The time spent and connection will pay dividends in impacting that employee and feeling cared about, welcomed, and celebrated. Especially by leaders who are seemingly “so important.”
#3 Back to basics, get the little things right.
This is a little bit more basic, but have an onboarding plan and a checklist. Make sure people have absolutely everything they need from day one. Make sure they have their badge, and a computer that works. Make sure that they've been communicated with and know where to go and what to do. Deliver them their company swag. Don't just wing it when it comes to people’s first few days and impression, be intentional.
From day one, make sure people have a point person communicating with them and have what they need. Don’t let people stumble into their job and have a poor first experience.
#4: Ask how you are doing.
Once they’ve got their feet under them, ask your new hire how you as an organization are doing. It’s as simple as sending a survey 30 days in. Ask things like:
How’s your experience so far?
On a scale of one to five, how much do you like it here?
What are you seeing that we do great? And what’s our biggest opportunity to improve?
Also ask them questions that can give you critical information you want, like:
With your fresh eyes and perspective, are we truly living our culture that we shared with you coming into this organization?
Are there any things you would change about your job or your work environment?
Are there things that you've noticed that you’d love to mention and have us be aware of?
“You don’t want to just assimilate new people into processes and systems that aren’t functioning well.”
I like this one a lot. First of all, it makes people feel listened to and empowered and shows that you care about their voice and experience. Also, to see what people are seeing as they come into your organization is incredibly valuable.
You don’t want to just assimilate new people into processes and systems that aren't functioning well. Learning from new people coming in gives you such valuable information. Ask them at 30, then again at 90 days.
#5: Buddy up.
Assign your new hire a mentor. Give them somebody inside the organization that is a buddy, a guide, a go-to person. Ideally that's one of your most engaged, awesome employees that can be a support and a hand holder of sorts for 30 days to set them off on the right foot.
Don’t ignore them otherwise. Assigning a mentor is part of how you’re showing them that you care they’ve joined your team and you want to make them feel supported. Have the mentor intentionally check-in with them at least once a week just to ask how things are going and if they need anything.
This is just a really, simple and easy way to make someone feel welcome and celebrated immediately.
#6: Help build their network.
Have new employees meet other departments, and interact with more than just their isolated, direct team. Limiting their interactions to just a handful people contributes to silos and a lack of understanding of what the rest of the organization does.
“Limiting their interactions to just a handful people contributes to silos and a lack of understanding of what the rest of the organization does.”
Make sure that you connect them with coffee chats/meetups/Zoom meetings, and whatever other ways you can think of to foster that relationship building with other departments and other teams and individuals throughout the company.
This will help give them a more global picture of the company overall, and increase their network of friends and connections in the company. It's a great way to reduce silos between departments, increase understanding, and build this new hire’s (and strengthen the company’s) internal network.
#7: Come up with your own ideas.
You have creative people inside your organization. Bring them together and ask how your onboarding practices build employees for life. Don't have me be the one coming up with all your ideas.
Do things that other companies don't do and that you've never heard of. Be creative and outside the box. These are free ideas. They take hardly any time or energy to do, but they make a huge impression on someone coming into the organization.
Your people should feel celebrated from day one.
In business, you can often win a customer for life by giving them an excellent first impression and experience with your organization. Have the same mentality about employees.
How your employees are treated on their first day, week, and month just might make them want to stay for life.
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This article was created by Galen Emanuele for the #culturedrop. Free leadership and team culture content in less than 5 minutes a week. Check out the rest of this month's content and subscribe to the Culture Drop at https://bit.ly/culturedrop
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