So, you’ve gone through the expensive and time-consuming process of finding the ideal candidate to join your team – how do you ensure they make the best start, feeling inspired and engaged?

We’ve been lucky enough to work across a variety of businesses and observe best (and worst) practise onboarding experiences and can tell you it makes an enormous difference to how well new employees settle in to their new role. 

Here’s some thought-starters on how you can elevate your onboarding process:

Keep the conversation going:  When you are in the midst of employing someone, there's often regular points of contact and communication. Meetings, interview scheduling, back and forth on negotiation and contract signing which generates lots of engagement and excitement. However we often see a big void of communication between the contract signing and the start date. Fill this vacuum with communication – maybe a video from the CEO welcoming the new team member, a photo of their desk setup, a virtual tour if they haven’t already seen the office. Just a few regular points of contact to make them feel welcome and excited about their start with you.

Welcome to the neighbourhood:  One of our clients likes to provide a snappy guide to the local area –  a map of where to get the best coffee, cheapest lunch, nearby public transport, gym amenities, parks to escape to for a quick break, car parks  - we think this is a brilliant idea!

Buddy up:  Partner your new employee with another team member who is charged with shepherding that new employee for the first few weeks – someone they can go to ask all the silly questions about the photocopier and the meeting room procedure.

Meet and greet: More than just a general intro around the office, schedule a solid amount of one-on-one time with key people in the office. This should include time with senior leadership to ensure that new employees feel valued and included.

Welcome Pack: Everyone loves free merch, but ideally your Welcome Pack holds more than just a branded coffee cup and provides a thoughtful swag of gifts or information related to their role and the company. A great opportunity to re-enforce the company values too – for example if the EVP is focused on learning and development an insightful book would be great. 

Quiz: A fun way for new hires to not only find out more about the company but also a way for them to connect with the team. Include a variety of questions eg "What is the office dog name?", "How long has David been at the company?", "Who is a champion surfer?" and so on to add a sense of personality and connected culture.

The first few weeks of a new hire’s career with your company is a one-time chance to re-enforce the company culture and let them know how welcome they are - an easy way to set them up for success!