Every Employer Should Do These Seven Things on an Employee’s First Day

After a time-consuming and expensive hiring process, you want to make sure that your new employee commits to your company for the long term. As in any situation, making a strong first impression is key. In other words, make sure your new hire’s first day on the job is as helpful, welcoming and positive as possible. Here are our top seven tips for creating an unforgettable first-day experience.

1. Don’t bog down your new hire with paperwork.
Your employee isn’t going to feel welcome or challenged if she spends her first day filling out endless paperwork. Make sure this dull task is over and done with by sending all the necessary forms (or as many as possible) electronically, before she comes into the office for her first day.

2. Let your colleagues know to prepare.
There’s nothing worse for a new hire than a lukewarm reception from new colleagues. To ensure everyone on your team is on the same page, send out an email about your new employee’s background and job title.

3. Set up the necessary tools.
Help your new hire feel like part of the team and ready to hit the ground running by ensuring that her computer, email, internet and phone are already prepared on her first day. You may also want to provide some company-branded office supplies, like a mousepad or coffee mug.

4. Give your new hire a simple task or two.
There’s nothing more awkward for a new hire than sitting around doing nothing on the first day. Make sure your colleague has cognitively simple tasks to perform on the first day, like completing a training course or starting a low stakes project.

5. Pair the new hire with a seasoned colleague.
An official mentorship helps give new hires a strong resource — someone to whom they can turn with questions. Otherwise, new employees can feel as if they have no one to answer questions that inevitably arise about a new workplace. It also helps build connections and collaboration within your company.

6. Help the new hire make connections.
Arrange a formal meet-and-greet between your team and the new hire. Without this, it can take weeks — or even months! — for a new employee to meet everyone at the firm, which in turn, can make him feel like “the new guy” for far too long.

7. Follow up with the new employee about any questions.
Check in with your employee at the end of her first day. While she has likely built connections with colleagues, it can be a positive step to informally follow up with her about any issues or feedback face-to-face rather than via email.

At Career Moves, we know that hiring is a two-way street between employer and employee. That belief leads us to our commitment to create the best matches between companies and candidates. We can help you find candidates with the right background and interpersonal skills for your business. Hiring can be expensive — let us help you make the right choice the first time.