Starting a new job can be a stressful experience — for both new hires as well as their managers. It is deceptively easy for a new hire to feel muted, isolated and hesitant to speak up if their initiation into the company isn’t followed by a warm welcome to the team. On the flip side, without a strategy and plan for welcoming new hires in place, managers may feel overwhelmed, exhausted and disconnected.
Failing to welcome new hires to the team is more common than one would anticipate. Studies indicate that 50-70% of newly hired managers and executives fail at their new jobs and leave within 18 months. And this has wide ranging impacts: Losing new hires results in a loss of trust and confidence in leadership teams, and has a detrimental effect on employee morale, turnover, service, quality, processes and more.
But all hope is not lost! We combed through various resources — as well as methods that we use at Candor to make our new hires feel welcome — and we put together these tried and tested strategies to make new hires truly feel welcome to the team.
Don’t underestimate superstars. Even extraordinarily talented hires need extra attention and care when they start a new job, and failing to do so may make them feel undervalued, unclear about key decisions and unsure about how best to work in a new environment.
A good way to welcome superstar hires to the team is for managers to schedule one-on-ones with them at least once a week. One-on-ones will help build rapport with their managers, understand team culture and how the company functions. They’re also a really good opportunity for managers to establish a relationship with their new hires and understand their career goals. In the long run, this will help inform key decision-making, such as how to allocate business priorities and tasks.
Another really good way to integrate and welcome new hires into teams is by organizing office get-togethers and icebreakers— like Taco Tuesday, perhaps, or a quiz!
Jeff Cayley, the founder of Worldwide Cyclery, told Forbes that his company welcomes new hires by encouraging them to join fellow co-workers on a bike ride, which has proven to be a good strategy for breaking the ice and saying welcome to the team. Cayley’s company also asks new hires to answer three questions, which are then posted in a visible spot in their office:
Candor is also a great tool to use when trying to welcome new hires to the team. With Candor, you can send new hires prompts and activities to help break the ice — such as personality tests, the results of which can be posted to Candor Profiles, or team trivia via Candor’s Poll feature. But remember: Respect varying levels of comfort people may have with social interactions, and avoid pressuring new hires to participate in activities if they don’t feel comfortable doing so.
A warm welcome — whether in person or remote — always works wonders. Josh Kohlbach, the CEO of Rymera Web Co., told Forbes that his company ensures that all new hires are given a warm welcome on their Slack, and that this strategy makes them feel welcomed and comfortable from day one.
Candor recently rolled out a new feature geared towards birthdays and anniversaries that will help companies go the extra mile in trying to make new hires feel welcome. Two weeks before a special date — whether a birthday or a work anniversary or any other special occasion — Candor sends the whole team a reminder to submit a thoughtful, personalized note. On the special day, a card is sent to the person whose birthday or anniversary it is. When they open it up, there’s confetti everywhere.
The feature also allows you to celebrate new hires on their first day and give them a proper welcome to the team. Reading nice things their coworkers wrote for them — in addition to being a super cute gesture — also makes new hires feel seen, appreciated, and is a really great way to welcome to the team.
Additionally, it is always an excellent idea to encourage new hires to speak up. There’s just a small window of time during which new hires are able to share valuable insights as “outsiders” — and it’s useful to leverage that to your team’s benefit. Instead of dismissing new hires who are quick to contribute insights drawn from their previous workplaces, encourage them to give their two cents about what they like or dislike about their new workplace’s culture, and what they’d like to do differently.
A key element in welcoming new hires is to help them feel like they belong. This can be achieved seamlessly by creating opportunities for collaboration and by encouraging existing team members to be more welcoming, and show interest in their new coworkers. If new hires feel welcomed, acknowledged and included, they will feel safer making an emotional commitment and fully engaging in their new role.
The ultimate goal of the onboarding process should always be for new hires to create as many lasting relationships and connections as possible. And while allocating specific responsibilities and understanding company workflow are an integral part of welcoming new hires to the team, encouraging curiosity and modeling the culture and values of the organization should also be given thought. A good way to help new hires feel integrated and welcomed is to encourage existing team members and managers to send supportive Slack messages or post shoutouts on Candor each time a new hire achieves a new milestone.
Last, but certainly not least, feedback plays a fundamental role in welcoming new hires. Managers should, ideally, routinely check in to ask new hires how they are doing, and whether they can answer questions or clarify anything. Questions they could ask include: Do they have any questions about workflow or tasks assigned? Was there anything in the welcoming process that gave them cause for concern? Is there anything they need that may have been overlooked? Knowing that managers and coworkers are concerned about them can help new hires feel welcome, and leave with a positive first impression of their new job.
Managers could also ask new hires for input about the strengths and weaknesses of the onboarding process — and when doing so, acknowledge to new hires that feedback and input will not result in judgment or reprisal. A willingness to receive feedback is always a green flag — it helps new hires feel seen and heard, and maximizes their chances of speaking up both now and in the future. This approach reinforces the message that they are truly welcome to the team and that their opinions are valued from day one.
Candor makes it easy to connect and have fun with your teammates, even while you’re remote. Use Candor to do feedback, shoutouts, check-ins, and more, all in one place.
Feel free to share questions or feedback with our team. We will be in touch within 1 business day.
