That first day on the job marks a critical touchpoint in an employee’s tenure with your organization. How they are welcomed and introduced to their new colleagues and new responsibilities sets the stage for their entire employee journey.
Unfortunately, this important transition isn’t always managed as well as it could be. Fortunately, there are some great exceptions.
A Special Welcome From Colleagues
We always stress to our clients the importance of immediately connecting employees to the culture and helping them to feel welcomed. One of our clients really took this to heart and a team of employees created a welcoming video that literally brought tears to my eyes because of its emotional impact.
Unlike many welcome videos that you’ve likely seen where the CEO delivers a message and, maybe, HR reps talk about the logistics of coming on board, employees created this video. These employees welcome new staff members and explain what it means to be part of the organization from their own point of view.
Creating a culture of caring and compassion for your patients starts with doing the same for your employees. What better way to get them started off on the right foot than an onboarding process designed to delight rather than simply inform.
Taking Steps to Delight
Welcoming videos aren’t the only tool you can use to help employees understand and acclimate to your organization. There are a number of things—some small and some more involved—that can and should be done during the onboarding process.
One organization we’ve worked with, for instance, has a small hand symbol that they add to new employees’ name badges to clearly and quickly convey to others that this is a new team member. Then they can make an effort to introduce themselves, offer assistance, and make sure the new employee feels welcomed.
Some organizations arrange for a welcome reception to greet a new employee informally, allowing the opportunity for fellow team members to get to know their new colleagues.
Some pair new employees up with a buddy, or mentor, who they can turn to in the early days and weeks of their jobs if they have questions, need assistance, or just want to eat lunch with someone.
In bringing new employees on board, it’s important to enlist the aid, support, and participation of other staff members—not just HR or the new employees’ managers. Be explicit about the role others can and should play in helping new hires feel welcomed and introducing them in meaningful and impactful ways to the culture.
Answer These Questions for a Great First Impression
Welcoming employees effectively can have a big impact. For instance, Gallup research indicates that a strong onboarding experience can significantly boost employee engagement. They emphasize the importance of making sure that your onboarding experience effectively and thoroughly answers these five important questions that address employee needs, interests, and concerns:
- What do we believe in around here?
- What are my strengths?
- What is my role?
- Who are my partners?
- What does my future here look like?
How do you ensure that new hires feel welcome? Turnover prevention begins with first impressions. Help ne staff get on board quickly and effectively so they can begin contributing to a positive patient experience and supporting your culture. Looking for ideas? We can help.
Tags: employee acquisition, Employee Engagement, healthcare staffing, onboarding, talent acquisition, welcoming new employees, welcoming new hires
