You’ve been looking to hire someone and have finally made it through stacks of resumes and numerous interviews to find the one. The perfect person for the role. They’ve signed their offer letter and now it’s time to get to work to ensure your new hire’s first day is memorable in all the right ways. But where do you start? Lucky for you, Vaco has deemed 2019 as the Year of Magical Moments, so we decided to completely revamp our new-hire process.
As soon as our new friend steps foot in the office, he/she is going to feel the Vaco magic. In order to do this, preparation is key! First things first, if you don’t already have a designated person for this type of task, you need to determine who on your team will be the running point. Having someone who is accountable for implementing this process is crucial to make sure every step is accomplished. Once you’ve settled that, follow these steps to make sure you’re ready to go before that first day:
Create a checklist and get to work.
List out the items that need to be set up and ready to go before your new hire starts. Laying it all out will help keep you organized and on time. Start prioritizing the items on your list as soon as you can to ensure everything will be in place. Our checklist includes:
- Computer set up
- It can be awkward for the new hire to have to wait around on their first day while IT is working on their computer. Make sure the new hire’s computer login works, test the Wi-Fi, and set up their email signature to match your company’s brand guidelines.
- Desk set up
- Have all new hire paperwork printed off so it’s ready for them to review when they get there. Also, it can be helpful to include informative documents such as the office seating chart and the phone list to help get them acclimated to their new environment and teammates.
- Scheduling first week meetings and training
- It’s crucial to have a plan in place for the new hire’s first week so they don’t get stuck with too much idle time. Having a schedule determined will help ease the transition and provide clarity on what they will be doing that week.
- Ordering all office supply needs
- No one wants to show up to their first day at a new job and be shown to an empty desk with no supplies. It can come off like the company wasn’t prepared for them and will have the new hire aimlessly searching around the office to find supplies for their basic needs.
- Ordering business cards
- Once your new hire starts, you want them to be able to hit the ground running and be associated with your company while they’re out and about. Having their business cards ready to be distributed allows them to immediately feel like a part of your team while out at events.
- Assembling a new hire kit
- One of Vaco’s core tenets is Proud to Wear the Jersey, so we like to provide swag items to our team so they can represent our culture wherever they are. Depending on your swag budget, gathering even a couple company branded items (hat, shirt, notebook, pen) to have ready on your new hire’s desk will create a positive impact.
Find a way to break the status quo.
When a new hire has to give notice to their previous employer, this provides you with time to make an impact during that period from acceptance until their first day. That transition time can be scary for some people, so find a way to create a magical moment for them. Whether it’s having a team member mail a handwritten card to congratulate them or hosting a happy hour before they start so they can meet everyone before their first day, these moments can reinforce to them how happy you are to have them joining the team.
Stay in contact before they start.
The more information you can provide them before they start, the better. Starting a new job can be nerve wracking, so communicating certain tidbits of info can help alleviate some of the stress of not knowing. Send a welcome email a week out from their start date to give them all the information they need for their first day.
As soon as you learn of a new hire starting, preparation begins. It’s important that these items are checked off before they start to ensure their first day and week make for a smooth transition. As the saying goes, people won’t always remember what you say, but they’ll remember how you make them feel. Your new hire’s first day is no different. If your new hire’s first day is successful, it helps set the tone for the rest of their tenure. Make it count!
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