Five tips to make sure your employees have the best first week at work

Five ways to ensure a smooth first week for new employees

The first week of work can be challenging for employees. Being the new employee on the block is fantastic because it means you started a new job, but you also have a ton of new information to navigate. As an employer, it’s your job to make sure that the week goes as smoothly as possible. Keep reading for five things you can do to make sure that your employees have the best first week.

1. Create a hassle-free onboarding process

During your first week, there is a ton of paperwork that needs to be delivered to human resources. From I-9 forms to payment forms, this process can be challenging, especially when employees are going from place to place to turn in simple forms.

At WorkBright, we believe the onboarding process should be simple. We have created tools to help your business thrive during this time by creating a paperless process. You can fully digitize your onboarding process with our employee onboarding software, which will mean a simplified experience for your new employees. No more hunting to find the appropriate person to turn in your forms. Everything is digital, and your employees can even access their onboarding experience from their mobile phones.

Completing the onboarding experience is one of the first tasks your new employees will need to do. How can you make that process as simple as possible for them? Creating a paperless process isn’t easy, but it’s a great way to free up space and provide an accessible onboarding experience for your employees.

2. Match your employees with a mentor

Creating a mentorship program can be a fantastic way to build a connection with your new employees. Your new workers are trying to get to know the lay of the land, and that can be challenging when they don’t have any workplace connections.

Creating a mentorship program for your employees is a quick way to build a genuine connection right away. The program doesn’t have to be structured or expensive.

• Find a great mentor for your new employees based on their goals and the personality they showed in their interview.
• Train existing employees on some simple but effective mentoring strategies.
• Follow-up to make sure that they are enjoying their new mentor and learning from them.

3. Make your employees feel at home right away

The first week of work has the opportunity to make a great first impression. Take the time to make your new employees feel at home right away. Here are some ideas for building that connection:

• Decorate their office with balloons, streamers, and other fun trinkets in company colors.
• Gift them some company swag like shirts, business cards, mugs, et cetera.
• Make sure employees take the time to visit them at their desk and congratulate them/make them feel welcome.
• Have a catered lunch in their honor during their first week.
• Spotlight them and their new job in the weekly office newsletter.

There are so many things you can do to make your employees feel welcome. By taking a bit of time during their first week to do a few acts of kindness, you can be sure they’ll feel pumped to work at your company.

4. Hire new employees in batches, so they have a cohort

Hiring in cohorts is a fantastic way to make sure your employees have the best first week. Hiring employees one by one can be lonely for new workers. When they have a few other people starting on the same day, they have someone to turn to. Building a sense of camaraderie is why many schools, especially at the graduate level, create cohorts versus allowing people to enter at all times of the year.

Create a group chat on Slack for the various cohorts in your office. Once they get to know each other, plan some after-work activities for your work cohorts. Cohorts mean instant work friends, or at least acquaintances, which can provide a plethora of support for new employees.

5. Remember to check-in

Last, but not least, don’t forget to check-in throughout the week. As the HR manager, your new employees need to see your presence. Take the time to answer questions and be there for your employees as they adjust to their new workplace.

Set up a meeting within the first or second week of their employment. During this meeting, chat about their experience in the office thus far. How can you help them succeed? Do they have any questions they are too afraid to ask?

Why the first-week matters

Building connections with your new employees to make sure they have the best first week is an essential part of the hiring process. According to Fast Company, more than 40% of employee turnover happens during the first month. The first week you have with your employees is more crucial than you think.