No matter how exciting that new job is, without the proper welcome on the new hire’s first day, it may resemble the first day of freshman year of high school – awkward! Those age old questions resurface and new hires begin to think: Where will I sit? Where will my workstation or office be? Will I fit in? Will my co-workers like me? We all have experienced those uncomfortable feelings at some point in our lives and I think I can speak for us all when I say, let that be history!

My job as a Recruiter with Helios doesn’t stop after I’ve found the perfect candidate for my client and they’ve signed the acceptance letter. It’s imperative that I coach my clients to continuously impress the new hire to ensure that they feel the same warm welcome that was extended when we initially talked about the opportunity. Besides, we didn’t spend hours doing sourcing, phone screenings and interviews to not have this candidate last, right?

Generally speaking, the Human Resource department will have a standardized new hire orientation program to take care of necessities like new hire paperwork, setting up the new employee’s desk, training, etc. and the employee’s manager will typically go over their job duties, departmental orientation, and instruct them on what to get started on. But whether you have a large organization or a small business, it’s everyone’s responsibility to make new members of the team feel welcome.

10 Ways to Make a Lasting Best Impression

According to Small Business Magazine, here are 10 ways to make a lasting impression when welcoming new employees to your organization:

1. Say hello and be there to welcome the new employee on his or her first day.

2. Have a prepared workstation including a computer, phone, and any other work-related tools.

3.  Set up email accounts, resource accounts, and passwords.

4.  Make team introductions and try to share at least one thing that’s personal or unique that could be relatable to the new hire.

5.  Become a tour guide- while you may know where the printer paper is located, your new employee does not.

6.  Satisfy their appetite by taking them out to lunch and share where other nearby restaurants are located.

7.  Have an employee handbook or work policy guidelines paperwork ready for review.

8. Show your true company colors; let your company’s cultural behaviors and values shine through you.

9. Assign a manageable workload and do not throw the new employee into the fire on the first day.

10. Have an end-of-day follow up: find out how the day went, answer questions, thank them and express how much you are looking forward to having them on the team.

Most importantly, keep in mind that welcoming a new employee is more than making a company announcement and a manager assignment. It is well worth your time and attention to make the new employee’s welcome positive, affirming, and exciting by checking in with them early and often for up to the first year of employment. For example, whenever we hire a new employee at Helios, we send them a welcome gift to their home before their first day. It’s a nice way to let the new hire know that we are excited they are joining our team, introduce them to our culture, and it further solidifies a lasting impression!

To learn more about creating the best onboarding and orientation program, click here for more tips.