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Engaging Employees from Day One
How to get your new hires off to the best start.
“You only get one chance to make a good first impression.” This adage is rarely more important than when new associates join your organization.
Most companies know that a high level of employee engagement positively affects productivity and business performance. But many miss a prime opportunity by not focusing enough attention on an employee’s first few days. In that formative time, it’s vital to make sure they grasp the organization’s mission, values, strategies, and culture. Most importantly, they have to see how their jobs connect to all.
If you can answer “yes” to any of the following, you need to rethink your orientation process.
- Has an associate arrived for the first day of work without a place to work or the necessary materials and equipment?
- Are key relationships unaware and surprised about the associate’s arrival?
- Is your orientation centered on completing required paperwork and going through the policies and procedures in the employee handbook?
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Below are three overarching principles that will help your organization create the right experience from Day One:
- Take advantage of employees’ excitement. The first day of a new job is often exciting. Employees are likely willing to try different behaviors to adapt to their new environment. They also seek confirmation that they have made the right decision.
- Avoid information overload on the first day or first week. Spread orientation out over an extended period. Requirements such as getting employees enrolled in benefits are necessary, but weed out the things that can wait, like diversity training and adherence to graphic standards. Instead, place the emphasis primarily on inspiring the employee. Make the experience enjoyable and memorable, instilling a sense of pride in joining your organization. Approach orientation as a continuum of learning that takes place over a period of months.
- Build employee-manager relationships. The most influential factor on employee engagement is the relationship with the immediate manager. Empower the manager to “own” the employee’s orientation process by spending one-on-one time, getting the employee settled in his or her workspace, introducing colleagues, and overseeing the training process.
Depending on which study you review, only 11 to 28 percent of employees are highly engaged in their jobs and passionate about their organizations. Bringing new employees on in the right way is a great opportunity to assure they are among the engaged.
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