4 Sure-fire Ways to Welcome a New Employee
Introduction
Being a new employee can be a daunting experience, especially if the employee does not feel welcomed into the company or team. As a manager, it is important to encourage growth and look out for the well-being of your employees. Creating a strong first impression for the employee and guiding them through the first few days can be key to the employee becoming comfortable in the new environment. Here are some key ways to welcome the new employees.
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Setting Up a Strong First Impression
Introducing yourself to the new employee is crucial to begin to understand them, as well as to make them feel comfortable within your workplace. Not taking the time to introduce yourself could lead the new employee to fear you and ultimately be unable to turn to you for help when needed. Consider the following methods of introducing yourself:
Have the employee come in early on the first day of work to meet you.
Eat lunch with the employee on the first day.
Schedule a video chat with the employee on the first day (if a remote employee).
The introduction goes beyond just making the employee feel comfortable speaking with you. If you don’t take the time to introduce the employee to the team, even an extroverted employee will struggle to feel welcomed. It can be highly uncomfortable for a new employee to share their own accomplishments, so consider sharing them on behalf of the employee. Doing so will also show the employee you have confidence in their abilities with the team.
Sample Approaches
Coming up with ideas for welcoming a new employee to the team can be challenging. Here are some examples to make the process simpler:
“Hey {new employee’s name}! I’m so excited that you will be joining us. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me for any help! I am here to guide you through the steps of getting started and want to be a resource for you.”
Expressing your enthusiasm is key to welcoming the employee. Let them know that you are a resource to them, which will encourage the employee to ask questions and not fear you. Also, taking an active interest in any onboarding tasks, even if it is HR paperwork, will show the employee you are invested in them, and ultimately make them feel less lonely and isolated during the first few days of the job.
“Hi, Team! Today I want to welcome {new employee name} to the group. {New employee name} has strong experience in ____ and I’m super excited to work with them. Let’s go around the room and all introduce ourselves to {new employee name}.”
It can be awkward if the new team member has to introduce themselves to the group. Take an active role as a manager to introduce the employee and provide some key background about their skillset. In addition, allowing the opportunity for the team to introduce themselves to the new employee will allow the new member to feel comfortable and a part of the staff. As a manager, facilitating this leadership role is key to making your team closer to one another.
“Congratulations on joining our team! I wish you the best of luck today and going forward! I’m super enthusiastic about working with you and have some tasks in mind that I would like to get your opinion on.”
Allowing a new employee to offer feedback or an opinion on something in the workplace right away will demonstrate your value of their background and expertise. Doing so will show the employee that you are knowledgeable of their skillset and have confidence in them. This action can go a long way to making the employee feel valued and appreciated in your workplace.
“Welcome to the company! We will have a team meeting later today, and I’ll introduce you to the coworkers you’ll be working closely with. In the meantime, let’s discuss some of the tasks you can begin to work on and feel free to ask any questions along the way.”
As a manager, it is crucial that you take an active role in the tasks your employees are working on. Showing this interest from the start will show the employee that you care about your team and want to collaborate with them on action items. In addition, assuring your employee that they will get a chance to meet other employees on the first day will ease some stress of trying to find people to talk to at work.
Conclusion
As a manager, take some time to imagine being in the shoes of a new employee in your workplace. Think of how you would like to be greeted and treated by your manager and what resources you would need. Doing so will help you find an approach that works best for your leadership style and personality. Remain available to the new employee and active in their onboarding process to show your interest in their skills and background.