how can your new team member feel part of a team?

It can be hard for a new starter to feel part of the team, especially if they’re new to the business world altogether, but here is a few ideas we have tried and tested over the years to successfully help the new talent settle in. We can all remember at least one job with less then ideal onboarding practice, we’ve presented some cost effective and free ways you can make your new starter feel welcomed and part of the team.

The Buddy scheme

This is one commonly seen in larger businesses with many locations, or businesses with very technical roles. Essentially the buddy scheme is a system where the new hire will have a somewhat senior employee acting as a point of contact,  who can verify their training and answer questions that may arise and also can be someone to grab a coffee with in the morning!

The buddy scheme is incredibly effective at establishing the expected communication styles of the business and creating that peer-to-peer relationship that is so, so important for successful teams to thrive. It’s best achieved by clearly and early in the induction being explained and introduced, with a pool of more senior staff to be trusted to lead new hires through the business duties. It’s so effective because it establishes the businesses work ethic and expectancies in a non intrusive way that can even be fun.

Team buffet or food

Getting to know each other over food is a way people have made connections throughout time and now is no different. A great way to show you’re appreciative of a new hires presence is with something memorable like a team meal out or ordering something unconventional for lunch! It can even be something like bringing in sweet treats for staff.

It may be nice to throw a small welcome party, nothing too distracting or time consuming, but it won’t be forgotten if you set aside some time to celebrate with some cake or a discussed food item. It’s also beneficial as this down time allows for relationship building in a casual setting which is something all businesses aim for among staff. It also presents opportunity for any questions to be asked that may have been missed, people often think of a valid question after the time has passed so using this time to clear any questions can be effective to establish communication.

Team drinks

If you’re looking for things to do later down the line in an employee’s onboarding, consider throwing a significant event for milestones being hit. Like if an employee is offered a permanent position, you could celebrate as a team by organising a drinks night. This would work as a way of showing you care about the employees every step and not just when they start or do something right.

It could even be earlier if the work culture established such. Meaning that celebrating with a drink could be done after completing their first week of work! Celebrating your staff at these milestones of employment is a good way to stand out in a job market as many potential employees look for places with well established team events.

Coffee morning

If your workplace begins operations earlier in the day, then a coffee morning may be more appropriate, as most people are enjoyers of hot brewed beverages, this is a bery safe and inoffensive way to welcome new staff, you could make it more interesting by bringing in specialised coffees or varied flavourings to turn it into something more of a team event, it’s a good way to make a morning nice and different while not being too distracting. Although if you work in a busier environment or this just isn’t accessible, consider ordering coffee in, it’s a nice way to show investment in your employees while keeping on top of things.

Meet the team slot

When everything has been established with the new hire, it will be time for something a bit more fun and relaxed. After a lengthy period of filling in forms and orientation, it may be appropriate to get the team together for a session of sharing and conversation. Presenting an informal and fun way for each employee to know each other a little better, it could be something fun like a parlour game or something less rigid like sharing a single fact. Ultimately the goal is to encourage some informal and non work related talk to help establish good ties with one another.

These are just a few ideas we’ve shared of how you can onboard your new team member. Of course every work place will have it’s own distinct work culture and feel and in order to preserve that the business will most likely follow it’s own structure in onboarding a team member.

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HtE Recruitment News & Insights

This news and insights page has been written by Josh our Recruitment & Marketing Coordinator. HtE Recruitment take no responsibility for this post.