3 ways to welcome new employees like royalty & make them fall in love with you on Day 1

Sorry in advance if you came for conventional recruitment and onboarding advice. Let’s just get the table stakes out of the way:

  • Yes, create a smooth feedback loop to improve onboarding
  • Yep, prepare (but don’t overwhelm) them before day 1
  • Definitely let them know you value their fresh, “outsider” perspective

Field of Talent is about providing a remarkable experience, not an average one. Learn below how to onboard employees so they fall in love with your organization.

Why is it important?

The Great Resignation is raging like a wildfire. And new hire retention is lower than it’s ever been. Some employees quit before completing a single week in their new job.

You know how important it is to retain employees after hiring them. A few quick reasons:

  • Employee retention creates a stronger organization-employee bond.
  • Your team remains productive when they’re at full strength.
  • A perpetual state of hiring is expensive. Retain your employees. Save recruiting costs.

So this begs the question – how? How do you retain your talent for the long haul?

  1. Throw out the “swag” boxes
  2. Show their family you’re here to support them
  3. Weave their uniqueness into your uniqueness

We even had the chance to hear from new hire and Employee Communications Consultant at NFP Indianapolis Brad Carter on why Day 1 was so special for him.

1. Throw out the “swag” boxes

A swag box, really? We can do better.

Your new talent didn’t join your team for the fancy perks and benefits. They chose you because you’re fundamentally different. And nothing says you’re different like a swag box…

That was a joke. A swag box. Really? 

Luckily, you have something way better – your unique culture that attracted your new hires in the first place! Lean into it.

How can you show your new talent they’ve made the right decision? 

One way – Host an event or happy hour before their official start day. Casually introduce them to your team and the wider company. Don’t make them give a speech. Just a quick, informal “we’re glad you’re here.” 

Brad shared his manager was key in forming relationships and encouraging the right moves prior to and on Day 1. So encourage your managers to introduce their new teammates to the company.

See? A heck of a lot better than a transactional swag box. Your employees will remember how you treat them and how you make them feel. Before and after they start.

2. Show their family you’re here to support them

New jobs are scary, especially if you have to pack up your life and move across the country. Or start remotely with a company when everyone else has worked together in-person for years.

Companies often forget about the incredible pressure new hires are under with their families, especially if they’re a sole provider. How can you ease this transition for them?

Ask them to introduce themselves with slides in their first week. Your team wants to know who just got hired. But let’s go deeper than a casual introduction at a happy hour. 

Help them prepare with a template presentation and an example. And encourage them to share more about their personal life than their career. Families are most important in their lives. Why wouldn’t we want them to share that element of their lives with your company?

A few ideas:

  • What’s their significant other like?
  • Do they have kids?
  • What makes them tick outside of work? 

This presentation shouldn’t be a résumé. Drop the career highlights. Your employees can check their Linkedin profile later. Plus, they’ll get to know the new hire’s work strengths and weaknesses plenty over the coming months. And hopefully, years.

When your employees feel comfortable in their job, they:

  • are more productive
  • lead more effectively
  • refer their talented friends to apply

Brad had the opportunity to present about himself to his new team at NFP. “I’ve never shared that much about myself and my family on Day 1. It was eye-opening.” He received messages after the virtual presentation from coworkers wanting to grab coffee or beers to talk more about his life.

That is how you make a better connection with new hires and their families. Simply care about them.

3. Weave their uniqueness into your uniqueness

Every human has a different approach to work. 

  • Some are silent and prefer music to human conversation.
  • Others want to share every intimate detail of their life – and I mean, intimate.
  • But most hover in between. They want to do their job but need support from coworkers.

No matter who you’ve hired, they’re a human being. Not a résumé, Brad said. 

Weaving everyone’s personality into your culture is more a positive outcome of building an awesome culture. Not a reason to do so. Apart from getting more out of your employees when they feel loved and welcome, it’s the right thing to do.

Especially in this hyper-technological world we now live in.

To recap, welcome your employees like royalty and you’ll create a strong company culture no one wants to leave. How?

  1. Switch out swag boxes for true connection
  2. Care about them and their families
  3. Weave their personality into your culture

Special thank you to Brad Carter for sharing his onboarding experience with his new employer NFP. Connect with Brad or learn more about NFP and their stellar onboarding process.

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3 ways to welcome new employees like royalty & make them fall in love with you on Day 1