Pamela Tyree Griffin | Writer and Speaker

Your New Employee's First Day

Congratulations. You’ve successfully recruited your new employee. Here are some suggestions to help them get started off on the right foot and NOT have that foot walk out of the door!

BEFORE the first day:

Consider sending the employee a welcome note. It doesn’t have to be fancy just sincere! It should list the time the new person (NP for the rest of this article) is expected to arrive and where to go, the phone number and extension of the manager and of course, directions to the office. This can be e-mailed or sent regular mail.

Get the NP’s workstation is ready Is the computer up and ready? Are there supplies - pens, pencils, paper available? Is the phone hooked up and ready to go? Is all work related HR or other material there?

One thing that may be helpful is to assign another employee to serve as a guide and mentor to the NP. This person should be a very good worker so that your NP is getting information from the best source next to the manager. Also a person who is satisfied with the job may encourage the NP that joining your company was/is a good idea.

ON the first day:

Here are a few suggestions...

Plan a welcome for the NP. Examples of this could be:

Give a welcome card signed by all the people in the unit

Host a reception where you serve donuts or bagels and introduce the NP to everyone.

Order pizza and have a group lunch.

Put a small plant on the NP’s desk with a balloon attached.

Make sure everyone knows there is a NP and encourage them to take some time to personally welcome them.

Make sure the NP is shown where the restrooms are and knows the times for breaks, lunch, etc.

If you have scheduled other meetings for the NP, tell them and write the schedule so they are not caught off guard. The mentor should physically take the NP to the location and pick them up if necessary.

AFTER the first day:

Continue to develop a rapport with your new employee.

Make learning opportunities available.

Frequent check-ins to see how things are going.

Reward work with meaningful reconition.

There may be considerable anxiety that goes along with the first day on the job. If you want to retain your NP, make the first day experience (and indeed every day) as positive for them as possible!