Preboarding: How to inspire new employees before their first day on the job
In the November edition of my dose of Talent Management “to go”, we look at recruitment and how you, as a company, can shine before a new employee’s first day on the job. Preboarding is the magic word. Here’s what you need to do to make sure talents come to stay…
You only get one chance to make a first impression! And as we all know, that is crucial. Did you know that new employees decide in their first week whether they want to stay with the company or not?
What can you do to make new talent join your business and stay?
Just recently, an acquaintance told me about her first day at work in a new company:
“I arrived in the morning and waited at the reception. Apparently my boss wasn’t there yet. He was still in a meeting. While I was sitting there waiting, a member of staff came up to me and asked me if I had already filled in the visitor’s form. Visitor? Form?, I thought. Stunned, I replied that I was the new colleague. It was quite awkward for both of us. When the boss arrived, they started looking for a laptop for me. We had to go to several colleagues and ask. That felt really uncomfortable for me, because we were disturbing them all in their work. Then the whole office was turned upside down because no charging cable could be found. When I had my work utensils around noon, I was told that they didn’t really have anything for me to do for today yet, and I was handed a few (outdated) promotional brochures. I was supposed to read through them to acquire the most important company info and could use the (whole!) afternoon for that.”
An ideal start looks different, of course. But hand on heart: this situation surely sounds familiar to you, doesn’t it?
Preboarding: what’s important?
This useful checklist will help you prepare the arrival of new employees as well as possible and integrate them into existing teams and your company as quickly as possible.
Even before their first day at work:
- Make sure you have sent the employee all the important information for the first day of work (arrival time, parking, lunch, etc.).
- Is the workplace set up?
- Has the induction plan been worked out (get-to-know-you meetings with certain colleagues, important training, etc.)?
- Have all colleagues been informed that a new employee will start on D-day?
On the first day of work:
- Welcome the new employee and introduce him/her to the staff.
- Put together a small welcome package
- Organise a meal with the team
- Explain the induction plan to the new employee
- Schedule short and regular feedback sessions (recommended for the first 6 weeks: 1 hour per week) and discuss development opportunities.