One of the main factors that contributes to a successful business is creating an engaging employee experience. It creates the conditions for greater retention and loyalty. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that the employee experience doesn’t begin when a new person enters your building. From the time they accept your job offer, you need to make sure you create a great experience for them.
Α startling 65% of companies claim that they have had candidates accept job offers just to fail to up on their first day of work, according to Indeed. This can be attributed to several reasons, but it surely doesn’t help when new employees are left waiting for weeks before they start their new role as they might start becoming disengaged and questioning their decision to join the company.
Preparing your new hires for their new roles before the onboarding process begins and implementing an effective pre-boarding strategy can help them stick around.
But after sending the employment offer, how do you proceed? Below, we have listed some pre-boarding strategies you can’t go wrong with.
Pre-Boarding Strategies
- Stay in touch: Regular communication is key to keeping new hires engaged. Send regular updates on what they can expect during their first few weeks, and make sure they have all the information they need to prepare for their start day.
- Complete admin tasks: You can leverage on the pre-onboarding period in order to get all the administrative tasks out of the way. Onboarding documents usually include tax forms, verifying personal information as well as filling employment documents. Make sure to communicate to your new employee that it’s not mandatory for them to complete all the admin tasks but it will definitely allow them to focus on the things that they want on their start date.
- Introduce them to the team: Connect new hires with their future team members and colleagues. This can be done through by planning a lunch or coffee meetup for the new hire with their manager and team members so that they can meet and get to know each other in a casual setting. If a live meetup isn’t practical, you can arrange an introductory meeting in a virtual setting. Introducing new hires to the team before their start date, will help them break the ice and relieve tension.
- Provide onboarding materials: Providing new hires with onboarding materials, such as a company handbook, job description, and other relevant information, can help them feel more prepared and confident about their new role.
You can send your company manual to new hires so they can read it before their first day on the job. Another option is to compile a helpful FAQ page that addresses typical casual questions about the company. You may, for instance, disclose information about your dress code, parking, popular lunch spots, etc. In this way, new employees will be better able to comprehend your expectations of them and the internal rules they must abide by once they join your company.
- Offer training opportunities: If possible, offer training opportunities for new hires before their start day. This could include online training courses, webinars, or other resources to help them get up to speed on their role and the company culture.
- Make them feel welcome: Finally, make new hires feel welcome and valued. Sending an email announcement to the entire company that briefly introduces the new hire is a good place to start. They might even agree to send their own unique introduction email. This straightforward action can give your new hires a sense of value, as simple as it may sound. It’s also a fantastic way to incite excitement and foster a sense of community within the department.
- Some other things that you can do is to send them a welcome package with branded pens, notebooks and mugs.
- A personalized message from the CEO or the hiring manager is also a nice gesture.
- What’s more, you can establish a buddy program for your new hires. In fact, it was reported by Microsoft, which has also established a similar program, that 97% of the employees that had a buddy during their first 90 days, were eight times more productive than the ones who hadn’t participated in such a program.
Small gestures like these can go a long way in making new hires feel valued and appreciated.
By implementing these tips, companies can ensure that new hires are engaged and motivated before their start day, which can lead to a smooth and successful transition into their new role. Additionally, a great pre-boarding experience can increase your reputation as a quality place to work at.
In conclusion, keeping new hires engaged before their start day is a crucial aspect of the hiring process. By following these tips, companies can foster a positive relationship with their new hires, increase their motivation and commitment, and set the stage for a successful start to their new role.