10 tips from managers to realise a successful working relationship with new hires!

#1 Make the new hire part of the team before day 1

You want to build up a lasting relationship with your new colleague. Take the initiative and invite him to come to lunch with the team before the first working day. This encourages mutual contact and interaction. Has an important meeting already been scheduled? Invite the new colleague as well. This way, he can get to know the organisation before his first day.

#2 Add the new colleague on LinkedIn before the first working day

Immediately after signing the contract, send a LinkedIn invitation to the new colleague, so that they feel welcome in the company. Also send a link to your company’s LinkedIn page and make sure it has interesting content about the company.

#3 Prepare team members for the arrival of their new collegue

This already happens in many American companies, but still has to take a foothold in the Netherlands: sending the cv, job description and the start date of the new colleague to the other team members. This helps everyone prepare, so that they can warmly welcome their new colleague.

#4 Make the first day unforgettable

A real soft landing means arranging a nice welcome pack for the new employee. (This is also a good time to complete immerse the new employee in the branding of your company.) Examples are a cool notebook, pen, a fun gift in the style of your company, a checklist on how the first day at work… A type of ‘goodie bag’ for new employees.

#5 Give a personal tour

Give the new employee a tour of their new workplace. Of course you don’t have to show them the building top to bottom, only the highlights. This guided tour can also be done virtually or with augmented reality. This is a good alternative if you have several (international) work locations.

#6 Explain who the newbie can turn to when he needs help

When you introduce the team, point out the persons the new employee can ask for help on various issues. Who is his buddy or mentor? Which colleague knows everything about SAP? And which secretary arranges the meetings with the board? This gives the new employees some good pointers, which benefits productivity.

#7 Set goals that are achievable, Especially for the first week

Set achievable goals for the first week, so that new employees can immediately book their first successes. Celebrate these successes together, and don’t forget to give compliments. Self-confidence is extremely important in the first phase, and contributes to employee commitment.

#8 Make a good first impression

This especially rings true for you, as the manager. Be on time for meetings with your new colleague and take the time to talk to him. If you continuously postpone meetings because of other priorities, someone can quickly feel lost and will be less eager in the future to ask you questions.

#9 Use their fresh look on things

New employees have an extremely valuable fresh look on your organisation. Profit from it! Regularly ask a new employee how things are going and what problems or opportunities he sees. How would he do things differently or better? Organisations such as Delta Lloyd and Coolblue, for example, use this feedback to improve their organisations. They ask questions in their onboarding app which are also sent to the CEO and which are also answered by him.

#10 don't wait until the first day to start sharing content

After signing a contract, a new hire is eager and engaged. Many companies organise plenary introduction sessions after the start date, where the management teams shares important information about the company. In this market, with a scarcity of good candidates and a rising number of vacancies, is it very important to use that momentum, that engagement of new hires. Why not get new colleagues to start a preboarding programme in the app before their first working day?

In short: effective onboarding of new hires will cost you, as a manager, time and effort. But a proper onboarding programme also gives you a lot at the same time. For instance, in the area of ROI and commitment. In the coming months, we will also give tips for HR, recruitment and new colleagues.

Contact us today, if you want to create a unique digital onboarding experience for your new talent.