SSW Foursquare

Starting - Do you know how to make newcomers feel welcome?

Last updated by Lucia Sirtori [SSW] 8 months ago.See history

The first day of a new job can be daunting. For the new starter, the workplace is unfamiliar, their colleagues are strangers, and there’s so much to learn they think their heads might explode. All up, it’s a stressful time.

There are a few simple ways to help new hires feel more comfortable as they adjust to their new workspace:

Before they start

Check for:

Active accounts - Set a reminder to check if their accounts are activated before they start, by pinging them on Teams, saying hello and introducing yourself. E.g. “Hi I’m {{your name}}, {{your title}}. I just wanted to say hi, and to let you know to contact me if you need anything”.

Required equipment - Before the new employee starts, ensure you have any equipment ready that they might need. i.e. Laptop, Mouse etc.

Induction buddy - Before they start, you should make sure you have assigned someone to sit next to the new starter (when possible) for the first weeks to help them as much as possible.

Start date - Set a 30-minute appointment before the start of the day for the Induction Manager, Induction Buddy and SysAdmin to remind them of the new employee’s start date.

Friendly hello - It's a great experience if they have already met a team member, prior to the start date, so they have a friendly face to go to! We recommend the Induction Buddy to set up a 15-minute virtual coffee catch-up to introduce themselves and say hello (tip: you can use whatever comms tool your company uses, like Teams or Slack). Order them some coffee/breakfast delivery e.g. Uber Eats for an extra touch for this call! This experience also works for remote employees.

Clean up - Prior to the newcomer’s arrival, make sure their desk and work area are clean by giving the desktop, monitor, mouse and keyboard a wipe with a damp cloth. Then test that the equipment on their desk, such as the computer, phone and any other electronics, is in good working condition.

Plan to welcome on the day - Make sure a team member will be there to greet them on the day!

desk welcome
Figure: Good example - Nice and clean work area

The day before they start

Give them a call and make sure they're ready and know what to bring with them, what to wear, etc.

If you give newcomers the option to bring their own equipment, make sure to ask them whether they intend to do so before they start.

On their first day

On the newcomer’s first day, have the manager leave a short “welcome to the company” handwritten note and a cup of good coffee at the newcomer’s workstation to greet them first thing (the welcome message could even be written ON the cup if possible). Make sure they have someone looking after them.

Other nice ideas could include:

  • A mug ☕
  • A map of the area with some cool things pointed out (good coffee spots, restaurants, etc.) 🗺️
  • Use a blank notebook to write a welcome note and put handy hints inside, then they can continue to use the notepad during induction! 📓

![Figure: Good example - A fun welcome to SSW Sydney with all of the good food and coffee places in an AOI map!](MicrosoftTeams-image (70).png)

It’s also a nice idea to take the newbie out to lunch on their first day so they can get to know their co-workers outside of the office.
Note: check if they have any special dietary requirements.

For the first day, it's also a good idea to set up a time for a quick meeting to see how they are going and if they need any help - especially if they are remote employees!

These are some thoughtful ways to show the new hire that the company is pleased to have them on board, and leave them with a good first impression of their new workplace. ⭐

Find the longer version of this post on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Penny Walker
Camilla Rosa Silva
Induction
Recruiting
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