How to Make Your New Employees Welcome and Comfortable

Starting a new job can be nerve-wracking even under the best of circumstances, and people generally want to put their best foot forward and settle into their role without a hitch if they can help it! You can do a few things as an employer to ensure this happens for them to make their first couple of weeks a breeze. This piece will give you a few ideas on how you can make this as easy as possible for your new employees.

Create a Welcoming Environment 

One of the most important things you can do for your new employees (and your current ones) is to create a welcoming atmosphere. It is unlikely that people are going to look forward to stepping into the office if they are greeted with a cold reception, or people don’t appear to be friendly, so make sure you are providing a space that employees look forward to coming to.

There are several ways to do this, but an induction day when they start that includes a welcome pack, a tour of the office and its quirks, and a meet-and-greet of the team can help someone to settle in more easily. 

Assign a Mentor

Having someone there to help your new employee learn the ropes can be extremely helpful for both parties. Your new person will get to avoid the majority of the “just transferred schools” feeling, and your established employee will also get to know them and have a better idea about the person they are going to be working with.

Be sure to choose someone who is friendly and approachable to be a mentor, as well as someone in the know about your business – picking the right person can make or break the introductions.

Be Available and Offer Support

There is not much more off-putting for a new employee than being thrown into the deep end and not having any support or being able to talk to the people that can give you the answers you need. 

It will also be worth checking in with your new employee regularly to see how they are getting on, and if they have any questions or need anything. Showing you are interested will most likely make them feel more comfortable and give the impression that you take care of your employees from the get-go, so make sure you are available as part of your employee onboarding process.

Provide Clear Expectations 

Making sure your new employee understands exactly what they need to be doing in the first couple of days can help take a lot of stress off. Provide clear guidelines and instructions for their work, their job role, and your expectations of their performance – this leaves the guesswork out of the equation and helps set them up for success from the beginning. 

Providing regular feedback within the first couple of weeks will also ensure they know if they are on the right track and will reinforce the good they are doing!