6 Ways to Improve New Hire Orientation

For most employees, the new hire orientation process is a snore. But considering that the first few days on the job can set the tone for an employee’s tenure at your company, it’s vitally important to get it right. As one of the leading staffing firms in South Florida, Future Force knows if you don’t, it could lead to a disengaged employee who jumps ship shortly after being hired.

To help you in the process, here are some ways you can improve your new employee orientation:

Think about what would be important for a new employee.

If you were a new employee, what would you want to know about your company? What kinds of questions would you have? Who would you want to be introduced to? What would make you feel welcome? When you put yourself in their shoes, it’s easier to understand what’s important to new hires and to structure your orientation process not only around what you want them to know, but also what they want to know.

Make your new hire feel welcome.

There’s nothing worse than arriving to the office on your first day only to find out no one is ready for you. It undermines motivation and engagement, and sends the wrong message to new hires. That’s why it’s so important that you make every new hire feel welcome. Make sure you or someone is ready to greet them when they arrive. Also, have their office or workspace up and running for them. When you take these small steps, it sends a big message to your new hires.

Plan time to celebrate.

Keeping in mind that a new employee’s first few days on the job can impact their success at the company, it’s vitally important that you embrace and celebrate their arrival. So take them out to lunch with the rest of the team, or host a happy hour after work. Whatever you do, just make sure you go beyond the basic administrative tasks and introductions on their first day and show them how excited you are to have them on board.

Put paperwork online.

Speaking of administrative tasks, if you can, post forms and paperwork online and let your new employee complete them before their first day. That way, they’re not spending their first few hours on the job bogged down in paperwork.

Keep the process short and simple.

No one wants to sit in a room for eight hours and listen to all the rules and regulations of their new employer. So streamline orientation presentations where you can. Make them interactive or online, or shorten them so they’re easier to digest.

Assign a buddy.

Finally, one of the best steps you can take is to assign your new hire a buddy. This should be a person who is friendly, good at explaining things, and patient. They can serve as your new hire’s go-to person during their first few days and weeks on the job,

Whether you need help hiring or onboarding new employees, turn to Future Force.

As one of the leading staffing firms in South Florida, we’ve been helping local employers source, screen, train and retain great employees since 1992. So if you’re ready for some professional help staffing your team, give Future Force a call.