SOME SAMPLES for you

When onboarding a new team member, you have one-shot at their first impression of the company. Here are some often overlooked steps that can help get buy-in, commitment and a feeling of company-pride, right out of the gate:

• Manager conducts outreach prior to their start date (phone call and email). 
• Assign a Peer Mentor to reach out and welcome them aboard. This person serves as another point of contact - someone at their level (the Peer Mentor takes pride in this role - and don't be shy to ask a recent hire).
• Assemble a welcome bag (packed with company SWAG and other small items: water bottle, gum, etc.). 
• Send a company-wide email announcing their arrival, their role, list of some past accomplishments and a quote from the new-hire about what they look forward to most.
• Upon arrival, bring the entire team together in the morning upon arrival (or at least the department) and do a welcome and introductions in-the-round.
• Take them on a tour and introduce them to the team (share their role, a success they had and your excitement to have them on the team). 
• Plan lunch for their first day with their direct supervisor and their peer mentor (make this about them, start to get to know what makes them tick).
• Prepare their work station and have supplies ready to go. 
• Provide them a budget and means of ordering supplies that will help them be successful (they pick). 
• Provide a company org chart and their job description (if not previously done). 
• Conduct a one-on-one expectation setting session (more on this later). 
• Check in at the end of the day to see how it went for them.

Well, there you have an outline for a successful day-one of onboarding. These often overlooked little steps make a huge difference when you’re working to bring someone new on board. Just think about how you’d feel walking into a new company and how you’d like to be treated, then make it happen.