Science Matters: Onboarding: Create an Optimistic and Welcoming Work Environment

One of the primary responsibilities of a manager is to develop relationships with employees in order to maintain a positive culture in the workplace. Along with building relationships with experienced employees, managers can help new employees feel welcomed before they even begin working with a proper onboarding process. Managers’ onboarding procedures should begin when they first meet prospective employees and continue well into new employees’ careers as they become assimilated within their new organizations. Industry research has shown that new employees who have consistent, welcoming experiences into their workplaces have greater productivity and longer careers with their companies.

As new talent is hired that can positively impact an organization well into the future, it is important to have the following objectives in mind:

Create an optimistic environment for new employees that will be long-lasting
Strive to help new talent feel welcomed so they are able to excel with the other members of the organization
Help accelerate the performances of new employees so they can work at their peak levels

Create an optimistic environment

New employees will perform well when they are satisfied with their work environments and are passionate and knowledgeable about the company’s objectives before they even begin working. Since the onboarding process begins well before an employee’s first day of employment, it is important for new employees to feel optimistic about their roles within the organization, as well as the organization’s culture, even during the first interview. In order to ease the onboarding process and create optimistic environments, keep the following goals in mind:

Provide job expectations to new talent

New talent should be provided with clear expectations of their positions before they begin their employment to help them prepare for a long-term future with the organization. As a result, anxiety will decrease and new employees will have more positive attitudes.

Help new talent understand the value of their positions

By clearly describing the ways in which new employees’ positions will help the company exceed objectives, new talent will feel that they are truly beneficial to the organization. As new employees feel value, their optimistic attitudes and quality work will be witnessed by all team members.

Help new talent feel welcomed

So, how do you help new employees feel welcomed so they are prepared for their futures in an organization? Orientation processes should not only be insightful, but fun and interesting as well. Post items such as benefits forms, policies and procedures, and company perks on a company intranet so new employees can easily access information and feel more at ease in the organization sooner. Also, provide new employees with the items they will need for success. New computer software and office space will show the employee how much he or she is appreciated and respected. In the meantime, supply new employees with orientation information that will be engaging and retainable. New staff should be excited about the orientation process, not relieved once it is completed. By engaging new employees and helping them feel welcomed and respected, their careers will have the proper starts that could lead to long-term commitments.

While an insightful and entertaining orientation will help new employees feel comfortable, assimilation within the rest of the organization will assist them as they become accustomed to their new roles within the company. In order to truly succeed as a team, all members must feel welcomed within that team.

Accelerate new talent

Once new staff has become accustomed to the goals of the organization and familiar with the members of the team, it is a manager’s responsibility to ensure that new employees are accelerating through the transition periods of their new job. In order to help new employees perform to the best of their abilities, they should be provided with resources and support before and after they begin working in the organization. By following up with new talent, management will learn the positives and negatives of their work experiences in order to find ways in which orientation programs can improve so that future new employees’ experiences will be as satisfying as possible.

By creating an optimistic environment for new talent, accommodating and assimilating them within organizations, and helping them accelerate through the orientation period, managers can be confident knowing that their organizations’ atmosphere will be inviting for years to come. Remember, first impressions will always last. To maintain talent, apply onboarding plans before new employees even begin working. Their performance, as well as the performance of all team members, will be positively affected.