According to PwC Saratoga’s Human Capital Effectives Report 2013/14, 22 percent of new employees leave within their first year. Successfully engaging a new hire increases retention rates and can go a long way to increasing employee engagement. Below are five ways to successfully welcome a new hire.
Show Your Appreciation for New Hires
Changing jobs and starting fresh can be intimidating, especially if there is a probation period involved. New employees are searching for assurance that employers recognize their talent and are excited to have them on board. Let new hires know you are interested in seeing how they can shape the future of the company. Everyone needs to feel valued, even in some small way.
Connect the Dots
A key contributor to job satisfaction is the feeling employees have of being part of something bigger. Work to make the connection between your employees’ skills and the goals of the organization. A new employee orientation—either formal or informal—is a way to relate the company’s mission, vision and goals to the skills and experiences of the new hire.
Dole Out Relevant Projects Immediately
Assigning a new hire a project that plays to their strengths and builds their competencies directly upon their start date allows employees to quickly integrate within the organization. Helping them to achieve instant success will also increase their credibility with clients and colleagues.
Create a New Employee Ambassador Position
Having HR or a hiring manager appoint someone within the company to show the ropes to a new hire can be incredibly successful. However, it is important this person has both the time and inclination to take on such a project. Pick a corporate cheerleader who will help to make the new employee feel at home.
Appoint a Mentor
A mentor can reduce the stress of a new employee caused by performing new skills and duties and having a new manager, colleagues and customers. A strong mentor can help a new employee integrate into a company as quickly as possible so they can begin focusing on their work and results.
Helping employees feel valued, competent and part of something important is incredibly helpful to making them feel they have made a smart career move. The quicker they begin to integrate and feel happy with their decision, the faster they feel engaged, confident and able to contribute to the organization.
—Adapted from an article by Jen Lawrence in the December 2014 issue of the Communication Briefings newsletter, www.communicationbriefings.com
