Six Ways to Make a New Employee Feel Welcome

Recently, I had the opportunity to experience the most nerve-wrenching and dreaded part of getting a job—being “the new guy at work” (gal, in this case). I’m a confident person, but walking into a completely foreign environment to meet those who will work with me daily for the foreseeable future, and to begin work that will take years to complete, is more frightening than I expected. The August heat wasn’t the only thing making me sweat that day. Fortunately for me, the staff of Empowerment Group knew how to make my transition a smooth one. But no matter what, starting a job is a stressful time, and the following six practices are invaluable when trying to welcome a new employee.

1. Organize forms, papers, and information about benefits and policies
Paperwork is a lot less painful when it is well-organized and in one, easy-to-find location, preferably on the Intranet or computer server so that employees can come back to the information.
2. Befriend the new employee
Remember you hired a person, not a set of job functions, and consequently this is arguably the most important thing you can do to welcome that person to your business. Showing an interest in getting to know him, showing him around the office, and even taking him out to lunch or coffee to learn his story are all great ways to do this. (Warning: from personal experience, nerves can cause an astounding lack of coordination which will lead to accidents, so avoid steep staircases, sharp utensils, and lunch foods that easily spill on for-the-first-day-of-work clothes.) Remember that for your new employee, your small efforts will go a long way.
3. Make introductions
Chances are good your employee will have things in common with others on your staff, and discovering them by taking the time to introduce her to other employees will make a world of difference. Listening to Tom and Susan brag about the Red Sox’ big win over the weekend will both encourage your undercover-Sox-fan new employee, and help her to connect with Tom and Susan.
4. Think in terms of the “big picture”
Your new employee knows why he chose your company, and he knows a general description of what his job will entail, but there are a thousand little details he must learn to really understand his work—so take it slow. In his training he will be bombarded with information about everything from how to interpret the Google Analytics for the company website, to where the extra toilet paper is kept. Explaining how all the necessary practices and procedures will fit into the company’s mission and operation as a whole will help him understand what purpose each step serves and his overall role.
5. Ease your employee into your company’s culture
This step is an important one if your employee is to avoid culture shock. Your company has a language and customs all its own, so take the time to explain to her some of the bizarre jargon, indecipherable acronyms, and office norms she’s unaccustomed to. You don’t want to see her misinterpret your comment to, “Run that idea up a flagpole to see if it flies,” or to stand out in her nicely ironed suit and polished shoes on casual Friday. One especially helpful practice is to write down important terms and ideas to remember.
6. Be available for questions
If you think it’s annoying to have someone always asking you questions, imagine how obnoxious it is for them, always having to inconvenience someone they’ve just met. The first few days your new employee will have many questions, so make sure he knows how he can contact you. Ideally, be nearby or reachable by email or phone, but if you must leave, direct him to someone else who can answer his questions. The less inconvenient for you his interruptions seem, the more comfortable he will feel questioning you, and the more capable he will become. Don’t allow him to feel isolated and frustrated by having to figure things out on his own.

And remember, the more positive the transition into your business is for new employees, the more they will enjoy what they do, and the more productive they will become.