That's it; your recruit is going to join your team. So get ready for their arrival!
Your goal is to connect with your recruit and help them get on board with your company culture.
Get Ready for the Big Day
Successfully onboarding your new co-worker is a key factor for success in their future involvement and engagement within the company.
Your Goal: Prepare for Their Arrival!
A bad start: Your new co-worker arrives for their first day, and you are not in the office or forgot it was their start day. You don't have an available desk, and even though you put in the request for a computer, IT services are inundated, and you don't have a date for when it will be ready. You realize that you haven’t even communicated internally yet about their arrival.
You will have to work methodically and carefully to avoid this disastrous scenario. It's your time to act like a manager!
The Five Key Stages of Success With New Arrivals
Communicate Internally
Communicate with your team and other company departments once the offer letter is signed. Prepare an internal announcement email to send on the day your co-worker arrives, in which they are cc'd. Why not ask your future co-worker to introduce themselves in a few lines you can include in your email or send it out before they start? This may pave the way for a few conversations about hobbies they have in common or their professional history!
Involve and Mobilize Your Team
Involve your team in the recruit’s induction schedule so that your team has a chance to meet them during their first few days in their new role.
Appoint an Operational Buddy From the Team
A team buddy will ensure that communication flows smoothly between the new arrival and the teams and assure the recruit that they have someone they can rely on apart from you to ask about anything they don't understand.
Preparing the Logistical Aspects
Prepare their workstation, computer, telephone, and IT accounts (email address, access to business tools, etc.).
Prepare a Welcome Handbook
You should give them this handbook on the day they arrive to have as much helpful information as possible. Your HR team will help with this!
Prepare an Induction Plan
The ultimate aim of the onboarding is to enable the recruit to:
Understand your expectations and get a better sense of what they contribute and their added value in their new role.
Help them plan their future in their new work environment.
Learn about the company culture.
The onboarding schedule aims to introduce them to the company’s key people so that they can quickly become autonomous and effective. Therefore, arrange as many meetings as possible during their first few days with:
You, of course!
Members of the team.
Human resources and general services.
People from other departments they will have to interact with.
A Good Managerial Habit
In many companies, HR will organize a full day dedicated to new hires. Ensure that you enroll your new co-worker in this program so that they can share their impressions with others like them.
A preparatory tool for your co-worker's onboarding process is available here.
Welcome and Accompany Your Co-worker as They Discover the Company on Their First Day
How well you welcome them on this day is powerful because it determines your new co-worker's first impressions.
Your goal is to give them a proper welcome!
It's a good habit to be fully available on that day - don't accept any other meetings or appointments.
A Successful First Day
Give it a personal touch by having a coffee with them.
Introduce them to their integration pathway.
Hand them their welcome booklet.
Invite them to have lunch with the team.
Plan a full tour of the various departments, offices, and premises, but also ensure you introduce them to the people they will be working with to help them get their bearings. This tour will also help them find their place in the company.
Introduce them to their buddy.
Hold your first meeting with them.
Remember your first few days with the company and the role of your direct supervisor (or line manager)!
Tell them that you are available and that they should not hesitate to call if they have any questions.
Monitor the First Few Months
To help you track how well your new co-worker is settling in, draw up an integration plan and prepare a series of stages during their trial period.
After One Week: the First Debrief
Have a discussion with your co-worker about their initial feedback, the relevance of their integration pathway (in case it needs adjustment), and any questions they may have. Let them speak!
Plan to arrange a one-to-one with them every week, initially.
After One Month: a Report on Their First Impressions and Setting Their Initial Goals
Gather feedback from your new hire after their first month with the company by asking them to write a discovery report and share it with you.
Make the most of their fresh outsider's perspective to find out what they think is positive and what they’d change about the company; how it is structured, its tools and processes that could be improved, and any questions they may still have. Companies often have a standard template for discovery reports, which is divided into three sections:
Things that surprised the new arrival in a positive way.
What they discovered that they did not know.
Things that they think ought to be changed.
Once your recruit has their bearings and becomes more autonomous, you should establish their first operational goals during the one-to-one session following the discovery report. Set the time for these goals to coincide with their trial period. Also, define an action plan for achieving them. This will allow your co-worker to dive into their new role while you continue to support them.
After Three Months or at the End of a Trial Period: an Interim Report
The recruit isn't so new anymore! They are functioning in their role and fulfilling the tasks as planned.
Have an interim review, or assessment with your co-worker, to share and measure results, take stock of their effort, and ensure that you are in sync with their integration into the company.
You can also use the meeting to reconsider goals and define a new action plan.
And there you have it, you have contributed to endowing the company with fresh talent!
You have just seen how you can contribute to the success of your company:
By improving your organization.
By effectively prioritizing your tasks.
By making the right decisions.
By recruiting the best co-workers.
Let's Recap!
Pave the way for onboarding your co-worker before they arrive by communicating with your team and by preparing any logistics.
Organize the first few days for this new person by preparing a schedule that includes the key stages in their onboarding.
Be completely available on their first day and plan regular meetings with them over the next few weeks.
Last Words
This course is coming to an end! You now have all the tools you need to:
Plan and facilitate team meetings.
Delegate tasks to co-workers.
Communicate effectively with your team as their manager.
Set and track goals for your team.
Hold annual review meetings.
Organize your team's work.
Recruit and onboard employees into your team.
Don't forget to take the quiz at the end to validate these skills!
You are now ready to return to your company and your managerial role and apply the tips and techniques you have learned in this course.
Over to you!
