How to give a good impression on your first day at the office

The first impression counts.
Good onboarding of new employees gives a good impression to the employer. The onboarding process is a critical factor in an employee’s assessment of their new workplace. A factor that has a lasting effect on commitment, achievement and loyalty.

By having good routines and processes around onboarding, you will be able to get the new employee up to a good performance level faster and you have the opportunity to set the course for a good working relationship where the new employee chooses to stay in the company, thrive and create results.

What is the goal of a good onboarding process?

• Shorter time to a satisfactory level of productivity
• Create a good working relationship as quickly as possible
• Reduce turnover and recruitment costs.
• Get into the corporate culture and social life.
• Increased commitment and reduced sick leaves.
• Good employee branding.
• Quickly gain an understanding of and live up to the company, values and goals.

“There is a 69% greater probability that an employee who participates in an organized onboarding program will remain in the company for up to three years than an employee who did not participate in such a program.”

The first 90 days are crucial

Research indicates that the first 90 days are particularly decisive for whether the new employee chooses to stay in the job. The longer a new employee has been in the position, the less he or she considers leaving. It is therefore important that during these days you ensure that there is a correspondence between expectations that were created in the recruitment process and the reality that you meet in the workplace.

How to prepare

The following should be considered:

What role should managers, HR, mentor and team members have?
When should the formal onboarding process start?
What duration should the onboarding program have?

How to get started

We recommend that the onboarding process starts already when signing the employment contract. The time until the first working day is an excellent opportunity to start both the integration and socialization process and build loyalty and belonging. Remember to invite to social and professional gatherings that take place before the first working day. This shows that the company is also happy and proud that they have a new member on the team.

Prepare the team and distribute tasks

Make it a collective responsibility to ensure that the new employee quickly gets into both work tasks and the social. Distribute tasks within the team. Ensure that someone meets the new employee the first day and ensure that someone takes the new employee to lunch the first week.

Checklist

Create a checklist that starts a couple of weeks before the new employee starts. The checklist should cover the first 6 months of employment. In addition to practical preparation, this must also include an introduction to the company’s values, strategy, goals and culture, as well as the introduction of the work tasks that belong to the position. The list should include the following items:

Before the employee begins:

• Send out emails to everyone in the office so everyone is prepared to accept a new employee.
• Set up and configure your computer. (Ensure that email and accesses work).
• Provides guides and manuals for the software to be used.
• Set up telephone, office machine and other technology.
• Order and present business cards.
• Arrange access cards.
• Prepare the workplace.
• Book meetings in the calendar with people and departments that the new employee should meet.

First 3-6 months

• Have regular contact points between the new employee, manager, sponsors and mentors.
• Make evaluations and corrections along the way
• Conduct probation talks after 3 and 6 months with the immediate supervisor

This is what you should do as a leader:

• Have a clarification of expectations with the new employee on priorities and responsibilities in the position.
• Take the time to answer questions and explain how things work in the business.
• Ensure that everyone on the team takes responsibility for the onboarding.
• Have regular follow-up interviews.

Good routines and processes

Getting a new employee up and running quickly can be challenging in a busy workday. It is important to remember that both the small and the big things are important for how the new employee will adapt. If you have a conscious relationship with the process of accepting new employees, you minimize the time you spend on this every time a new employee starts. In addition, you ensure that all new employees receive the same introduction. In short, the road to a successful onboarding is made easier by having good systems and routines in place and being well prepared. With this, we wish you good luck with the onboarding of your new employee!

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