How To Impress Your New Employees…. Yes, You Need To Impress Them As Well!

‘First impression’ is a two-way street. The journey starts with the first interview when you are evaluating an employee, and they are evaluating the company, workplace, people, career opportunity and more.

One perspective is that the employer and especially the HR manager have a more difficult job than the candidate. While they evaluate them on one end, they also have to push all the right buttons so that the candidate gets attracted to the concept of joining them.

These are the reasons that go beyond the salary when someone is considering joining your company.

After the rounds of interviews, selection, offer and acceptance come the second round of evaluation. When the employee joins, managers and co-workers spend the first month evaluating if they prove to be as impressive as they projected during the interview.

This period is also a time of reverse evaluation when the employee learns about the internal workings of the company. Things like how the company walks the talk on its core values, how the people support new employees and the actual execution of work in a conducive environment will all be put to the test in the first one month.

Many people tend to wonder why there is a need to impress someone who has already taken the bait and joined the company. The reality is that talented and skilled employees value the work experience as much as their pay. If they find that they are not able to fit with the company culture, they may decide to jump ship soon.

According to a study, one-third of new hires quit their job after about six months. This will set you and the team back by six months and get you back to square one – something that doesn’t look good on anyone’s work profile.

Most employees spend the first few days evaluating their new employer. The question is, as an HR manager, how are you and your company faring in this test? Are you able to impress your new employee? Here’s what you can do to start on the right foot!

Impress Your New Employees - From Day 1!

Let’s take a look at a few ways to make your new employees go ‘WOW!’

1. Prepare For The First Day

Managing expectations is one of the most significant challenges on the first day of work. The new employee will come with a blank slate. You will need to fill it in with relevant details of how things work at your company. The critical part of the first day is that you stay organized and be in control.

Set out the desk, arrange for help with paperwork, get a laptop and email id in place and other essential hygiene activities that come in the ‘need to be done’ category.

Another way to impress them considerably is by handing out awesome joining kits!

2. Assign A Star Employee As A Buddy

Pick out the star employee in the team and assign them as a ‘buddy’ who can help the new employee during the first few days.

A star employee has a proven track record, is well versed with insider details and also acts as a brand ambassador on your behalf. They can answer a new employee’s most pressing questions easily without having the employee come running to the HR for big and small queries. They’ll go a long way in creating a positive image of the employer brand.

Also, they’ll work as an inspiration to new employees on how their growth path will be within the company.

3. Set Expectations Right

You can’t expect a new employee to meet and exceed targets within the first month. They are bound to have a learning curve. It is best to be conservative and assume that the new employee will need some time to pick up the nuances of work in the first month before you can get them to the target achievement mode.

During this period, a supervisor will regularly block chunks of their time to ensure the employee has all the resources required to get up to speed. Junior level employees will need more direct supervision. Senior level employees will need time with the core management team to ensure their vision is aligned with that of the company.

4. Set Them Up For Success

It is a known fact that success followed by appreciation and recognition can be one of the biggest motivation for an employee.

When setting tasks and targets for new employees think of how you would do it for a first grader. If they are able to solve a simple math problem quickly and are appreciated for it, they will be more willing to try on a difficult problem the next time. You can start by giving out low hanging fruits that are achievable in the near future.

The first taste of success will instill confidence that the employee can take on more difficult and challenging tasks. The challenge that the immediate manager will have is to help them begin with a set of tasks that have a sweet spot between easy and difficult.

And don’t forget to reward them for their success… Recognizing achievements motivates employees to aim for higher goals!

5. Keep Them Engaged

Even when the employee gets over the learning curve, many industries require that the employee upgrades themselves with the latest skill, knowledge and tools. It is times like this when paying attention to the employee’s career growth will pay dividends.

Encourage a continuous learning practice among employees. This will ensure that their talent is put to good use and you don’t have to go searching outside for new skills. It will also improve their overall engagement with the company. By learning new skills, the employee can take on new tasks within the company. Their enthusiasm and initiative can be rewarded from time to time which will make them feel wanted and valuable.

6. Encourage Them To Provide Feedback

Feedback needs to be a two-way street! Encouraging new employees to provide feedback is a great way to know their ideas and opinions of the workplace culture and if it is meeting their expectations.

This practice helps newbies know that they matter to the organization and that their personal goals are as important as the ones of the organization.

Each employee, when treated well, can prove to be an asset to the company. With the right benefits and pay, they will not have any reason to leave you and head the competitor’s way. All you need to do is play the first impression game consistently.

Go beyond their expectations to create ‘wow’ experiences for them year after year. That is what will keep them going with you.