New Hire Onboarding Tips - Simple but Effective

First impressions last. Good one's give you and your organization an advantage going forward. Bad one's seed doubt in the eyes of the new hire. Take day one as the opportunity to sink that new recruit deeply into the organization immediately. The recruiting process is so similar to good old fashioned courtship and dating - it is scary. The first day of employment is like the first day of being married, it is still courtship (because that never ends), and the true test of what a company says about who they are, their culture, people, environment, and what they are prepared to do to make you successful are all realized by the first impression you make on their first day. Well, maybe not 100% of it rides on Day 1, however a well thought out and executed onboarding process will set the foundation for a fast start and strong foundation for a long term commitment to one another. It is all about the relationship and as the employer - this can mean validation or disappointment.

Preparing for Day 1:

This is the day your new recruit will face the organization and receive their company-wide first impression. As the employer, you want to make sure that the organization makes a strong first impression on the candidate. As the new hire, they want to ensure they leave a strong first impression with their team, department and the entire organization. It takes some preparation and open lines of communication working together to deliver the proper onboarding process.

• Call the new hire a few days before Day 1, and tell them what they can expect. Things like time to arrive, what to wear, where to park and what to bring are a few that come to mind.
• Create the agenda for the day, and better yet - the agenda for the week or first few weeks.
• Business Cards, door name plate, mailbox all printed and labeled ready to go
• E-mail address set up, signature created and laptop, cell phone, tablet, desk phone programmed and all user names and passwords created and set up. When they walk in, they are ready to get to work.  
• Prior to meeting specific people in the organization, preparing them with a few of your own observations prior to the meeting can be very helpful. It helps take the edge off and often times helps speed up the getting acquainted process.
• Arrange the scheduled meetings with deliberate intentions: who they meet and spend time with early on Day 1, sends a message organizationally. Their position, role, and functional capacity should be considered when planning their first day. 
• Arranging a relaxed, unstructured meet & greet for coffee can be a nice first impression to get better acquainted with staff from different departments organizationally. People they will work with, count on, and trust to help them be successful should all be on the invite list.
• If the hire is controversial, be sure to engage the faction of supporters and have them assist with the integration process - keeping a careful watch for those people who do not agree or do not support the hiring decision.
• Always keep in mind, this is a great opportunity to give praise to every single employee by making a strong introduction. It can be something as simple as "this is John, he has been with the company for 14 years and he was responsible for leading the XYZ project, which was a $50M mixed use project that was delivered on time and we have a very happy client". Remember, do not forget to give the receptionist just as great of an introduction. 
• The way you communicate, the way you interact with others internally and the level of respect you give to your colleagues will be watched and mirrored. So be aware.

The way the day ends is just as important as the way the day began. They will walk out of the building and into their homes and face the question "So, how did it go?" and this is where the organization can make a huge impression with the spouse or significant other. So close the day on a high note. Send them home with a welcome package that includes company gear, personalized thank you notes, company information, handbook, newsletters, list of suggested reading (or a book the company uses as a baseline - Good to Great as an example) and anything else you think could make an impact. Give them a nice handshake, smile and whatever you do - make sure you are there to say "It is great to have you here".