In the past, it might have been enough to show a new hire to his desk, hand him an orientation package, and wish him luck. But as the field of human resources has evolved, it has become clear that this kind of hands-off approach does a disservice to both the new hire, because it takes them longer to get up to speed and feel comfortable, and the employer, because they have to wait longer for new hires to contribute and may face higher turnover rates. Luckily, effective strategies have been devised to help you onboard new team members faster.

Give Them the Big Picture Perspective

Your new hire has a specific responsibility meant to serve a much larger goal. Make sure they know what that larger goal is and you frame their position in a much more accessible way. This is also a great way to help introduce new hires to your company culture.

Make Your Expectations Clear – And Give Feedback

One of the largest sources of anxiety in a new workplace is that you are not working as hard, or as effectively as you are expected to. Make sure your new hires know exactly what is expected of them using clear metrics, and offer constructive, supportive, and ongoing feedback.

Affirm Their Value

You hired this person for a reason. Make sure they know what it is, and find ways to remind them from time to time. If a new hire feel like they are in a unique position to make a contribution starting from day one, they will feel much more confident about joining a new team.

Assign an Employee Mentor

There is nothing like having a coworker to show you the ropes. Pair up all your new hires with someone that you think they will connect with, and make sure both parties unederstand how important the relationship is. Then, if the new hire has questions, concerns, or simply needs to vent, they always have someone to turn to.

Don’t Withhold Information

You told your new hire about their day to day responsibilities, but did you also let them know about casual Fridays, the company softball league, or the great deli around the corner? Lay all this information out upfront, and your new hire will feel like a part of the office sooner.

Keep Your Orientation Brief

The orientation process tends to be overly long and packed with lots of non-essential information. When a new hire is stuck in a conference room watching videos and working through packets, it keeps them from diving into their responsibilities and meeting their coworkers. Keep the orientation process short and efficient to that new hires can settle into their real workplace sooner.

Finally, remember that you can’t make judgments about an employee’s future based on their performance over the first few weeks, so be supportive when mistakes and issues inevitably arise. For more tips on strategic staffing, work with the team at The Concorde Group.