How to help your new employees settle in... to stay

I am going to make a bold claim. I think that keeping your team members long term is, like many things, all about first impressions.

When you’ve taken the time to advertise for, interview, shortlist and choose your ideal candidate, you won’t be in any hurry to do it again so we’re here to give you some helpful tips on how to make the best first impression and help your newbie settle into your office... to stay!

First stop

Have a desk ready for your new starter with a desktop, trays and little extras such as stationary or a ‘welcome’ card to make them feel comfortable and welcome on the daunting first day.

Train from the top

Whether it is for a whole training session or 10 minutes, why not get a senior employee to help in the induction process to motivate newcomers. It gives a great first impression of the company and makes the new starter feel valued as a team member and have respect for their peers, having seen that they took the time out to meet them.

Pace your new employee

Don’t throw them in at the deep end. If you make your new team member feel overwhelmed, they are going to give up before they’ve even started. But if you clearly state what will be expected of them in their role during and then after induction, they will feel able to try each task tentatively and slowly be able to tackle more and more.

Take time to talk

Schedule short, regular catch-ups. It is good to put aside a little time daily for the first week, then phase them back slowly after that to meet and go through any new tasks/projects or to see if they have any questions. These will also save you time in the long run as your new starter won’t interrupt you at your desks to query individual things but save their questions for the catch-ups.

Ask their opinion

There’s nothing better than a fresh pair of eyes. Why not pass new projects over to your new starter to get their feedback. With a different background and having not looked at the project before, they might give you some simple improvements or tips. This will also make them feel that you value their feedback, and that you have faith in their opinion – which will also give your new employee confidence in their role.

The meaning of ‘team’

Arrange a team activity to not only introduce your new team member but to also let the whole team interact outside of the office – helping morale. Also, why not let the new employee sit with each member of the team at some point in their first few weeks – it will help them understand what everyone else does as well as giving some time to bond with new colleagues individually. If you have a large team, make your new employee a quick seating map with names and roles to help the new employee feel more comfortable approaching their new colleagues.

The biggest mistake people make with new employees is rushing through all of the particulars and ticking them off a list, but now, more than ever, staff retention relies on a good introduction and good management.

Invest your time into your new team member, outlining the company rules, how their role will work and show them they are valued and you’ll notice they will be more confident, committed and successful in their role.

Go on, try out some of the tips and let us know if your new starters feedback was positive!