Being the “new employee” can be daunting. Do you remember what it was like on the first day of school growing up? The emotions running through the body are just the same. Will I fit in? Will I make friends? Am I wearing the right clothes?

Appropriately onboarding an employee can set them up for success and your whole team’s success! Here are a few ways to make onboarding easy and successful. 

Acknowledge 

Before the new employee starts, send an email to the office letting them know when the new employee will be starting and ask them to introduce themselves. Maybe even share a few fun facts about the new employee that you discovered during the interview. 

A Helping Hand

When you email the office about the new employee, ask if anyone would like to volunteer to help the new employee with questions about the office and the daily routine. 

Touring the Office

When the new employee arrives on the first day, give them a quick tour of the office to make them feel at home. Showing where the printers are may seem foolish because they may be in plain sight but it will give them a sense of belonging. Is there a break room or lunch room? Give them the tour. Let them know what the break room rules are if there are any. 

Show basics of the office:

• Bathrooms (is a key required?)
• Office Supplies (Paper, pens, highlighters, etc.)
• Mail (How does incoming mail get sorted and when? Where does outgoing mail get placed? Who adds the postage?)

This will also be a great time to introduce your volunteer to the new employee.

Questions And Expectations

Be prepared to answer questions and give them an overview of training expectations and how you like to train. Being “new” means you will have questions. To make someone feel comfortable, it is important to be open to them.

Things to be aware of when answering questions: eye rolling, shrugging, closed body language, and cold/short sharp responses (you might be busy, but the faster a new employee is comfortable, the more they can take off your plate).

Include Them

When they start, let the new employee know if the office orders lunch on Fridays. It may seem like a small gesture but it will make them feel welcomed and appreciated right out of the gate. Maybe there is a Happy Hour mixer once a month, let them know that they are invited.