The First Day is Key for New Employees

Over my last few consulting engagements, I have heard several horror stories about how new employees were poorly treated on their 1st day of the job.  These range from nobody knew they were starting that day, to your computer isn’t ready, to even one who was told that she was not “officially” hired yet.

When you think about the time, money and resources that went into hiring this individual, why don’t companies follow through when the employee actually arrives for their first day of work?  Think about it, whether the company is big or small, there is really no way for a new employee to know what to expect on their 1st day of the job. It is natural for the employee to be nervous, anxious, and all of the above.  It is the responsibility of the company to ensure the experience is a great one for the employee, and not the other way around. If you leave somebody alone on their 1st day to flounder, that is exactly what they are going to do.

Here are a few suggestions that have worked well for me in the past:

• Get the email, phone number, key cards, etc. taken care of at least 24 hours prior to the employee’s arrival
• Have everything setup in their office/cubicle BEFORE they arrive to work. I would also include a small company branded gift.
• Prior to the employee’s arrival, send them the agenda for their 1st day.  This will remove some of the anxiety as the employee will know the day’s schedule.
•  Send out an email to the new employee’s department (be sure to copy the new employee too) to welcome them to the team.  
•  Don’t bury the schedule in the 1st day essentials.  Yes, the tour of the office, breakroom and mailroom, etc has to take place, but it doesn’t have to take the whole morning.
•  Spend time thinking about who would be the absolute best person for the new employee to shadow, and not just somebody who has spare cycles to do it.
•  Get any necessary paperwork done in the beginning of the day.  This only includes the NDA, employment contract, etc.  The benefits and other perks paperwork can be done at home.  Nobody wants to spend a day filling out paperwork on the 1st day of the job.
• MOST IMPORTANTLY – Sit down with them at the end of the day and get feedback on their 1st day. This shows the individual that you genuinely care about their success at the company, and also provides an opportunity to identify, and more importantly, address any concerns from the employee’s 1st day. 

Try Changing Your Lens, and remembering how your 1st day was.  Think about what you liked and didn’t like and be sure to incorporate that into the plan for your new hire.  

If you would like help putting together a plan to ensure your employee’s 1st day is a great experience, please reach out to me.