Throughout the recruitment process, we focus on creating an amazing candidate experience. It’s a two way selling process; we want the best person for our organisation and they want, well they want what they want!

So once you’ve negotiated these waters, made an offer and had it accepted ... WAIT! Before you tick the task off your to do list, ask yourself “What’s Next?

Often there is a gap of a month or more between getting that offer accepted and an individual starting with your organisation, so how do you keep them feeling warm and fuzzy, as well as helping them to settle in once they do start?

Here are a few pointers:

Give them a Buddy

One of the best experiences of on-boarding that I had was being given a ‘Work Buddy’ before I’d started. I received weekly emails in the lead up to my joining date, was invited to payday Friday drinks before I was actually on payroll! Had someone to ask silly questions like where is the nearest sandwich place and is there a good place to get a lunchtime pedicure or how does my new boss like to the communicated with.

Day 1 Brilliance

Make sure their first day runs smoothly. I worked for one organisation, where on my first day the receptionist was waiting for me, my desk had my laptop, phone, note pad and other items and when I checked my emails, I have my induction meetings scheduled for the next few weeks (it included a trip to an international office). Everything was so smooth, I was able to hit the ground running and had access to all that I needed.

Induction Plan

So touching on Inductions, nothing is more frustrating that starting a role and having to find your way around an unfamiliar landscape unassisted. I remember starting a senior role with an organisation, and I didn’t receive my laptop until three days in. I had deliverables, but no way to deliver them! It was very frustrating and I felt like they were unprepared for me. Don’t worry I soon changed the starter process!

Having a detailed plan to introduce a new employee to key stakeholders, systems and processes cuts down on the time it takes to get a person up to speed, and allows you to see how long it should take for them to be fully utilised.

Warmest Welcome

A welcome lunch on the first day/week is always good. Getting to know someone socially is always good and it helps to build team rapport. I worked at one organisation where every month they had a welcome afternoon tea, where you had to speak with at least three people you hadn’t spoken with before, it was a really good way to get to know people in different departments.

Implementing an on-boarding process is a great way to engage with staff before they even start and show them how valued are as an addition to your team.