New Hire Assimilation and Training- Preparation for the Employee's First Day

Preparing for the Employee’s First Day- Please Don’t Disappoint!
The next phase of the assimilation process is creating a warm and welcoming environment for your new hire. It is very disappointing for a new employee to get to their work area only to find that no one is ready for them. Their desk or work area looks like a barren wasteland without even the most basic of office supplies. Often times, the employee is lucky to even have a working phone or chair. If this is what you are allowing your new employee to walk into, you are sure to strike out before noon on your employee’s first day.

Leaders need to start making their new employee a priority from the moment they say “I DO” to your employment offer. Solicit the support of your trainer to ensure the following supplies and equipment (if appropriate) are in place and fully functional in advance of the new hire’s start date:

• A complete set of office supplies
• A working phone
• Phone book
• Phone listing
• Training material on company communications (Telephone, E-mail, V-Mail, Etc.)
• Computer
• Chair
• Name plate (if applicable)
• Applicable department training materials

Technology Requirements

Many companies require a significant amount of lead time to get user IDs and passwords for access to computer systems. Unless otherwise restricted by company policy, do not let your employee down by waiting until after the employee starts to get the ball rolling. It can make training difficult when the new employee cannot even access the system they are trying to learn.

The Formal Department Welcome
A nice touch for welcoming your new hire is to have some type of informal meet and greet within the first week of their employment. Whether you bring in donuts or have a small luncheon for the team, it typically creates more of a social atmosphere. Food always seems to encourage social interaction and it will allow your new employee to see the personalities of their team member. If you are lucky enough to have a cohesive group of team players, your new hire may walk away from the experience feeling proud to be a member of such a great team. For the cost of a couple dozen donuts or some bagels and cream cheese, you will put a smile on the faces of your employees, and show your new hire that you are truly excited to have them as part of your team.

Summary
Leaders have a responsibility to create an environment for their employees to flourish. Supervisors/managers must recognize how impactful effective assimilation is on their new employees. The focus must begin before the employee is even officially on the payroll of your company. Take some time to recall your past experiences of when you first stated in your previous jobs. Not feeling like you are welcome or important in the workplace can extremely disheartening. The emotional rollercoaster that occurs when deciding to change one’s job or career can create significant stress in a person’s life. Don’t make matters worse by creating an environment that causes your new employee to regret their decision to join your company.

Your ultimate goal is to create a cohesive team where your employees work together each day to achieve a common goal. This is difficult to achieve when new employees are joining and subsequently leaving your team at warp speed. Minimizing turnover is a critical element in ensuring positive results in the productivity, quality and customer service produced in your department; and the last time I checked, these results are directly linked to your performance as the leader of the team. Effective assimilation and training is not just a great idea, it is a key responsibility of all leaders!

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