The kind of welcome that new employees get when joining an organization can have a big impact on their productivity, perception of the firm and their future relationships with colleagues. At one point in time, most of us have ever been new to a place of work so we can relate to the jitters and apprehension that comes during this period.
To build a strong foundation for strong relationships, engagement and interactions among the new employee and existing staff, it is important to have a welcome plan in place for the newest member of the team. In this article, the focus will be on the best ways to conduct a team introduction when you hire new employees.
1. Ensure existing staff know there will be a new colleague coming in
It can be really demoralizing to a new member of staff if the show up to work but no one is aware that they are joining the firm. The blank faces and awkward questions from existing staff can make the new employee feel that they are not really valued.
To inform your existing employees of the incoming team member, you can:
• Send out an email containing detailed information such as the name of the incoming staff member and the role that they will be playing in the organization
• Call a staff meeting
Ensure that you hype your existing staff on the incoming arrival. This way, they will be more likely to give the new team member a rousing welcome.
2. Call a team meeting when the new employee arrives
The best way to break the ice when the new employee comes into the organization is to call a team meeting for all staff members. This will give everybody a chance to know each other well. During the meeting, you can ask every employee to state their name, their role in the firm and you can also ask them to say something personal about themselves. Ideally, this meeting should be informal. This means that business matters should be kept at a minimum if they cannot be avoided totally.
3. Assign someone to show the new employee the ropes
Remember back in school when a new kid had someone assigned to show them around the school? This system also works greatly in the workplace. When your newest hire arrives, it is best to assign them a more experienced employee who can show them around the firm, make introductions and answer any queries that may arise.
Ideally, the person that you choose to guide the new employee should be in the same age bracket, seniority in the company hierarchy and if possible, they should have a lot in common with the new employee.
This is not to say that the work of making the new employee feel welcome should be left to the guide or ‘buddy’ that you have chosen. Ensure that you make it clear to existing employees that they should be as helpful as possible to the new employee.
4. Consider arranging a meeting for all employees in an informal setting
In this case, ‘informal setting’ means away from the place of work. Remember that if you want your employees to really bond, they should have relationships that stretch beyond the office. In an informal setting such as over dinner or drinks, people will be more relaxed, conversation will flow freely and your new employee is likely to feel like they have joined a community.
Another great way for team introduction is to allow the new employee to visit existing employees at their desks during the first day in the company. During this ‘tour’, your new employee will be able to learn what everybody does while actually interacting personally with their new colleagues.
I began writing as a professional on my personal blog and then discovered my true calling, which is writing about technology and gadgets in general. I am a technical writer, author and blogger since 2005. An industry watcher that stays on top of the latest features, extremely passionate about juicy tech news and everything related to gadgets.