A Powerful 1st Day

from The June23 Digital Issue of HR Professionals Magazine

Taking the “HUMAN” out of “HUMAN RESOURCES”? Mitigating the Risks of AI in HR

By LEEANN BAILES FOSTER

First things first – at least one leader from your company needs to make a connection with the new hire. By connection, I am referring to more than knowing the person’s name and job title. I mean spending enough time one to one to know what interests the individual. Encourage supervisors to keep talking to the new hire until they find a shared interest or two.

There are 5 crucial steps to developing a successful orientation program.

• Pre-Boarding – defined as the period from when the offer letter is received to Day One on the job.

o All of us fear uncertainty. New hires are worried about three things: 1. New physical spaces, 2. New people and relationships, and 3. New roles and responsibilities.

The curb the fear of uncertainties include the following in your offer letter: where to park, time to start, street address, how to access the building, the dress code. 1st day lunch plans, who to ask for upon arrival, and what door to enter.

As for anxiousness regarding new meeting new people and building new relationships, ask your team to connect with the new hire on Linked In, share information about the team and key people, assign a “WorkFriend”, share the team calendar, and as the leader, share a presentation titled “All About Me!” o Make sure communication is clear and timely. Not being prepared for a New Hire Class sends the message that the new team members are not a priority, that your organization does not have it together, and that the new class members are an intrusion. o The teach about the organizational identity, talk about the past, present, and future of the organization. o As for personal identity, make time to affirm the abilities, reaffirm why the person was hired, and show how the new role aligns with the vision, mission, and values. o Handout some organizational swag with the new hires name on it!

How can we help the new hire class feel better about the new role and responsibilities - give each a First Day and first week schedule of events , give a project update, set-up technical equipment (phone, computer, etc.), share the training schedule, and share with each individual the Career Path of his/her position.

• Communication on Day 1 – start off on a STRING note. Be prepared.

§ The WorkFriend should greet the new team member at the front door or in the parking lot upon arrival and stay readily available throughout the 1st day.

§ Schedule start time no earlier that 10:00 am to give the supervisor and team time to get started with their day. Mondays are Mondays all day long. Schedule 1st Days on Wednesdays. The workplace seems to settle down a little by then.

§ Ensure the workspace is ‘work ready’. Provide essential office supplies.

§ Decorate the workspace with a welcome sign.

§ Always have a 1st Day surprise: a gift, an ice cream treat, candy, etc. Take note in the interview process what the new team member likes OR call a family member or friend.

• Organizational & Personal Identity – connect the new hire with the vision, mission, and values of your company.

• Send Belonging Cues & Foster Emotional Connections o Show a welcome video from the President/CEO. o Send a welcome email with a picture and bio of every team member including the new hire. o Ask team members to drop by the new team member’s workspace to introduce themselves. o Don’t forget to assign the WorkFriend – email me, LeeAnn, if you need a WorkFriend Program – got one for you! o Make sure lunch plans are made. o At the end of the day, CELEBRATE good times. Tell the new team member you are so happy to have him join the team and are looking forward to tomorrow and beyond! o Walk out together! o Review the job description. Talk through each bullet point and answer questions. o Set priorities together. When managers help set priorities, engagement increase by 38%. o Share the On-boarding Plan. o Check-in frequently. These meetings could be your weekly 1-2-1 meetings. o Explain the evaluation process. Share the evaluation tool. o Set a Team Meeting on the 1st day to discuss the new team member’s role and each team member’s role. o Discuss the Rules of Engagement (expectations.) o Give the new team member a list of ‘Tings to Do’ during the first week to get some small wins. o Start to create the new team member’s Individual Development Plan. The new person will drive the plan – the supervisor will ride along in case she is needed.

• Role Clarification – SO important. Only 50% of employees know what is expected of them.

In conclusion, the ultimate target is “What do you want the New Hire to say to her family and friends after the 1st day? The main thing is to make a connection ASAP!

TEAM FOSTER HR STRATEGY provides comprehensive human resources consulting services for small to mid-size businesses. Offering turnkey solutions for clients, Team Foster is committed to compliance with compassion. With 30 years of industry experience, LeeAnn excels at relationship management, conflict resolution, and employee engagement. Team Foster works with you to motivate and manage HR issues from the inside out – supporting your existing human resources team and coaching your staff to solve problems with an integrated approach. Team Foster HR helps you build a collaborative corporate culture to further your business goals and strengthen your performance.