6 Tips to Get Creative with Onboarding New Employees

Onboarding your new hires is not just about the processes and compliance, it is, rather, about setting the tone for what any new employee should expect out of the workplace. A happy employee will be a happy worker who, in turn, will be a productive one. The initiation of a new employee into the workforce denotes the efficacy and dedication with which he/she is going to do the job.

To ensure impactful onboarding, make the process more engaging and enjoyable for the new employee. Let’s check out this blog to know the top 6 creative ways to onboard new employees.

1. Send congratulatory cards

The majority of job offerings are done verbally, the formal paperwork starts only upon the candidate’s approval. The selected candidates expect a contract or an offer letter. You can customise this mandatory procedure to include an excellent card to congratulate them on joining the company.

A congratulation card via the post is a unique way to let the new hire know how excited and pleased the company is with their approval to join the company. It is a great way to boost positive engagement with the new hire and induct them into the culture of the company.

The future team or the new hiring manager could personalise the congratulation cards for the new joinees.

2. A welcome box

Everyone loves branded merchandise, and your new hires are no exception. You could create a welcome box or pack that includes essential and useful tools like a water bottle, stationery or a cap. This could help the new hire feel included and welcome in the company’s folds.

You can plan to customise the welcome pack as per your preference or the industry the company belongs to. Further, keep this pack ready at the desk or workstation of the new hire on their first day to add to the positive environment for the new employee.

3. Make their first day memorable

It takes some extra effort, but it’s worthwhile. You can take the help of the administration to plan the perfect first day in the office for your new hires. Plan to set up an office tour or system tour on the first day.

There may be some routine practical activities that need to be addressed on the first day, such as getting access to the premises among others. But you could make this process memorable by adding a touch of customisation to the proceedings.

Plan lunch with the new team. Conduct a round of funny introductions with the new team members. Plan team bonding sessions so that everyone knows each other well.

4. A personalised message from the senior leaders

A personalised message from the company’s senior leader is the best way to kickstart your onboarding process. It could be a short video message or an email.

A personal message from the senior leader addressing the new hire’s name makes the new hire feel accepted and recognised. This boosts the credibility of the business and creates a positive work environment for the new hire on their first day in the office.

5. Create an engaging and welcome handbook

An employee handbook is important for new hires. It gives them an insight into the work culture of the company as well as the rules and ethics they need to follow when they are on the company’s premises.

However, an important piece of information, this uninspiring and bland book full of procedures and rules could be made more interesting and readable by customising creatively. A friendly and warm tone to the voice or engaging text in the handbook could make for an exciting read and help the new hire grasp the necessary information more easily.

Make sure the book has an attractive design and is easy to read. Include only the most important rules and policies and avoid restating the ones mentioned elsewhere.

6. Allow The new employee to leave early on their first day

The first day at the office for a new hire is always full of processes, information downloads, activities and procedures. All of these things could become exhausting for the new hires on their first day.

A warm gesture of sending them home early or by mid-afternoon is the best way to create a good impact from the first day onwards. Everybody wants to leave the office early, and a surprise gesture on the first day could allow the new hires to engage with the company on a positive note.

The trick any company needs to adopt when it comes to onboarding a newcomer is to perform a balancing act between leeway and boundaries. As with any new relationship, this needs proper communication and warmth, with a wee bit of authority.

In the end, if an employee feels valued and cherished, there is likely to be less attrition, which would save the company time, money and psychological burden. So why not start early?

To get help with creative recruitment and onboarding, get in touch with us at BetterPlace today.