You’ve found a stand-out candidate. The position has been offered and accepted. They’re excited. You’re excited….but what happens next is often neglected.
It’s the time that passes between the offer and when your new starter joins.
The trick is to keep momentum going in the hiring process – ensuring they maintain their enthusiasm in the weeks before their first day. It also pays to remember that saying goodbye to their current job and work friends can often be an emotional and challenging time.
So here are some ideas to make sure the good times roll!
- Get the simple stuff right
Having a desk, phone and the right technology to do their job is a great way to welcome your new starter. Feedback from candidates we’ve placed suggests that these simple things really do help them feel welcomed.
- Have a coffee
Making time in the couple of weeks before they start to have a coffee and a catch up is a fantastic way of keeping their interest burning.
- Sharing is caring
If there is a company event coming up, invite them. If you win an award or the business is in the news, share the love. If you have a company newsletter or internal comms, sign them up. Perhaps even send them a calendar of the social events planned for the next few months. Any way you can make them feel they are already part of your team will be appreciated.
- Show them what they can look forward to
How about taking a photo of their new desk with the smiling team, or making a short video of the team saying how excited they are to have them on board? When you’re saying goodbye to one team, it’s nice to know there are a new bunch of people excited about having you join.
- Count down the days
How about sending a link to an online countdown, marking off the days till they join? This may take the form of a calendar where each day they get a little bit of information about joining the team or a few benefits, perhaps a coffee card for a nearby café.
- Welcome gift
Sending them a welcome pack including a personalised water bottle or reusable coffee cup plus any pre-reading they need to do may also be appreciated. Depending on the style and approach of your new recruit, they may find it helps them get comfortable if they have a head start on reading.
- Innovative onboarding
If you’d like some help with getting set up with an innovative onboarding plan to set yourselves apart from competitors – the good news is that there is awesome technology which does just that! A few months ago at the HR Tech Fest we heard about HROnboard who custom build HR onboarding software. What they offer is a brilliant way of keeping in touch and making sure you’re engaging your new starter. Might be worth checking out!
