Author: Minna Mäkelä
Date of Publication: 30/10/2022
It can be very stressful and intimidating for new employees to arrive on their first day of work. There might be new duties given to them which they have never done before, and new people around them. The environment might also be unfamiliar and different from what they are used to.
Hence, it is crucial for managers to make their new employees feel welcomed and at ease. Similarly, if they work from home, managers should make sure that tasks are clear and they should make them excited to work for their company.
Now, let’s take a look at a few examples of how to welcome new employees and how to make them feel comfortable.
Tips on how to welcome new employees: what you should do
Team meetings
Nowadays a lot of employees work remotely, so one example to make new employees feel welcome is to hold team meetings. These meetings are easy to arrange. Managers could schedule team meetings once a week and let all employees know what their roles and tasks are in the company. What’s more, everybody could introduce themselves. That way, new employees have the chance to get to know one another and form new bonds.
Mentor in the office
If new employees work from the office, then they need a support person or mentor from the beginning. The idea is that, with a mentor, new employees will feel less stressed and will be able to ask questions. In addition, mentors could get to know their employees so that they will feel more comfortable when starting to do their job.
Morning meetings with breakfast
Food is a common way to gather people together. Therefore, managers could schedule morning meetings with breakfast from time to time. Breakfast meetings should be casual, offering employees different kinds of food options. In addition, they should offer new employees the chance to have open conversations and establish new relationships.
Welcome messages
As we all know, communication is the key to everything. So, when we want new employees to feel welcome, managers could send them a welcome message. This could happen via email or whatsapp. In the welcome message, managers can include information about employees’ working hours, job tasks, dress code, and where to be/at what time. However, they can also include a kind message, where they simply thank the employee for choosing their company.
Welcoming gifts
Besides these ideas, another perfect way to welcome new employees is through gifts. Welcoming gifts will make new employees feel appreciated from the beginning of their working journey. Examples of welcoming gifts are a string bag with the logo of the company, a mug, snacks, or a drink bottle. Other gift ideas could be a calendar or a journal with the company’s logo on it.
Manageable tasks
At first, it might be hard for new employees to get used to the new tasks and work environment. This is why it is important to give them manageable tasks at the beginning. With this tactic, employees will slowly start to feel comfortable in the workplace and will get used to their roles. Thus, with time, more challenging tasks can be assigned to new employees without losing their interest and drive.
Takeaways
There are different ways managers can use to make their new employees feel welcome. These ways, if present from the beginning, are also likely to maintain employees’ excitement and motivation in the long-term. This will set your company up for success.
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Reference List
How to Welcome a New Employee to the Team
How to Welcome a New Employee the Right Way (& 21 Example Welcome Messages)