When starting a new job, the last thing one needs is to add unnecessary stressors on top of the already compounded anxiety of starting a position. Getting a new hire in the door and stumbling through basic operations (where to park, what to wear, how to request time off) isn’t the ideal approach to fostering a welcome atmosphere for someone who’s come aboard eager to learn.
Instead, when organizations clarify information before day one, it’s one less thing for new hires to worry about on their first week – and it presents organizations in a more favorable light.
Unfortunately, many organizations save such information for orientation and fail to recognize that people want to learn the things they’ll be doing on a daily basis, not the stuff that’s similar everywhere you go.
Thus, by focusing on the logistics of joining the team on day one, people are already diverted and stressed out about learning names, finding the bathroom, and proving they made the right choice before they even get down to business. Instead, pre-boarding – the time from accepting an offer to actually commencing work – is a perfect point at which certain workplace information should be conveyed.
What Needs to be Covered Urgently
Some pieces of information are time-sensitive and need to be communicated early on before the new hire walks in through the door. Start time, for example, is relatively self explanatory. However, with remote work prevailing in many sectors, “reporting to work at 9 am” takes on different meanings. Should they expect to log into a video call or physically enter the building? If they are to enter a building, what entrance do they use? Are there allocated parking spaces or should they prepare for public transport options upon arrival?
Dress code is another implicit assumption that is inherently frustrating for new hires if it’s never communicated. For example, business casual means something different in a tech startup than it would at a law firm, but no one considers these nuances until it’s too late to rectify an assumed mistake on the first day. Sending an easy message about general workplace attire helps avoid disappointment on day one.
Technology requirements should also be sent early on; will the organization be providing a laptop or does the new hire bring their own technology? What programs should be downloaded? If certain security measures are needed for the home environment or for digital access to systems, employees will need time outside of troubleshooting on that first morning to come to work prepared.
Important Paperwork and Paper Trails
Another incident that causes significant bottleneck on day one is new employment paperwork. Tax forms, direct deposit inquiries, emergency contacts, and benefits selections all require time and deliberation. By asking employees to fill these out in advance of the first day helps people reference documents at home without pressure so that when they do come in, they’re being asked about available timeframes instead of trying to play catch up before they meet their team.
Here’s the caveat – some organizations prefer giving new employees a book-length handbook on their first day and expect them to read and sign everything immediately. Failing on multiple levels, this approach doesn’t give new employees an opportunity to digest 50-pages worth of policy while simultaneously remembering names, figuring out where the bathroom is located, and how to sign onto their computer. Utilizing an employee handbook builder helps companies convey professionally organized policy information digitally prior to day one so that new hires can adequately review everything at their own pace.
Benefit enrollment options also fare well when provided in advance; health insurance inquiries, retirement offerings and additional benefits are decisions that employees need to make that have financial ramifications and rushing through choices during orientation leave very little space for proper consideration – more than likely they’ll pick the quickest option or the one that looks easiest rather than what will function best.
Company Culture
New hires should also know what’s actually going on – not everything that’s written down in policy documentation – so that there’s context for situational awareness. For example, what’s the norm of communication? Is it okay for colleagues to message one another after 5 pm or is there an expectation of work/life boundaries? Should people expect their coworkers will eat lunch at their desks or will there be collective breaks?
Alternatively, some companies compile scheduled meetings; others prefer asynchronous communications and limited scheduled time. It can be overwhelming for a new hire who’s used to constant all-day check-ins in a different organization when they could have had a more liberating approach elsewhere – this is important knowledge for new employees to have right away.
Team responsiveness matters as well; if someone sends a message over Slack and doesn’t hear anything back within ten minutes at some workplaces that’s considered slow – the employee will need to adapt to new realities of what pace is okay (or not) when responding. These unspoken expectations often derail new hires who have no idea how they’re being perceived versus how they perceive everyone else.
Logistics
Finally, logistical questions abound in the first week that take people away from doing their jobs should these simple questions not be addressed up front. Where do people go for lunch? Is there a kitchen? Are there nearby restaurants or do employees need to pack their own food? Is there coffee? Is there any food/snacks available or do people need to bring their own?
Transportation options are also important realities not to discover too late. Parking passes, building access cards or public transportation benefits all require initiation prior; otherwise, new employees will find themselves with parking tickets on day one instead of learning where they’re supposed to go – or worse yet – having no entry after getting stuck in rush hour traffic because no one told them previously they had to swipe in with some kind of special permission.
Access has become more complicated as well – background checks, security clearance investigations, building access approval – all take time. The sooner these checks start, the sooner companies can get their new hires on board without them sitting in lobbies waiting for someone randomly associated with HR forcing them to awkwardly sit out in public until they can join their team.
Setting Up New Hires for Success
It’s easier to onboard someone when you set them up for success with a general outline as to what’s happening in their first days and weeks so that they can mentally prepare. A simple schedule – orientation sessions, team introductions, training modules, initial projects – excludes guesswork anxiety from day one.
Likewise, contact information shouldn’t be hard to come by – inform your new hire of who they should be reaching out to if they have any questions before their start date. Who’s their supervisor and what’s their best contact? Who’s their HR rep should administrative issues arise – this avoids having new employees feeling like they need to go on a scavenger hunt trying to find out who does what.
Equipment specifics should also be determined in advance – is there a desk ready? Is this a hot-desk workplace? What supplies are available versus what is expected of the employee? For remote employees – when should equipment expect to be shipped by – what happens if it’s not received by day one?
Keeping Information Accessible
The most successful pre-boarding information is that which is relatively easy to access and reference. It’s better for new hires to receive a welcome packet (or welcome portal) where there’s information consistently available.
The point of pre-boarding information is for companies not to present roadblocks on the path toward success; new hires shouldn’t feel frustrated that they’ve missed out on basic logistics because someone failed to keep them organized prior. When companies offer clear cut avenues prior to day one, it’s better for everyone involved. New hires can focus on what’s most important – their jobs – and how best they can become productive members.
