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How to Successfully Integrate New Employees?

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Coordonnatrice Marketing | Rédactrice et graphiste. La création, c'est ma passion !

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In this labor shortage, the competitive job market is turning recruitment into a competition. In this sense, it is essential to know how to successfully integrate new employees into your organization.

According to the Harvard Business Review, 33% of employees are looking for a new job before they have spent six months in the same organization. In addition, SHRM found that 20% of recruits quit during their first month of work. Interesting, isn’t it? These figures illustrate the importance of providing a pleasant employee experience right from the time of hiring.

To stand out from the crowd, take the time to welcome your new employees into your organization. To this end, follow our best practices to understand how to successfully integrate new employees. Give them special attention, as well as careful monitoring of their job satisfaction. During their first days at your company, make regular meetings supported by an attentive manager. This is a winning recipe to differentiate yourself from your competitors and give your new recruits the employee experience they deserve!

You don’t know how to successfully integrate new employees with a warm welcome? You’re not familiar with the importance of a good onboarding plan? To shed some light on the subject, here are nine good practices that will help you set up the perfect welcome program!

What do we mean by successfully integrating new employees?

A definition of a successful new employees’ integration

A successful new employee’s integration is defined by the early stages of your employees in your organization. We think about their impressions, feelings, and perceptions of your company and your teams. All of these factors will convince them or discourage them from working for you. All in all, it is very important to understand how to successfully integrate new employees into your organization!

As an example, a good onboarding plan for your new employees would consist of several good practices, including coaching the first tasks as well as a presentation on arrival to the various colleagues. In this way, you will make them feel important and included in your team. This will significantly increase the retention of your talents!

Remember: the first few moments are very important for your new recruits. Pay attention to their well-being, make a good impression, and give them time to adjust to the tasks required. Rely on our best practices to understand how to successfully integrate new employees in order to convince them to stay in your company!

Définition intégration accueil nouveaux employés

What is the importance of knowing how to successfully integrate new employees?

Understanding how to successfully integrate new employees is crucial for your business. They are the basis of a good first impression which, in return, will determine if your recruits will decide to stay working for you.

Importance bon intégration accueil nouveaux employés

To differentiate yourself from other employers, practice a good follow-up of the well-being of your new employees. Take the time to clarify your expectations of them to ensure they understand their role within your organization. Afterward, introduce them to a motivated and warm team who will be able to help them in case of need. This welcome and onboarding program will successfully integrate your new employees by promoting their sense of belonging: they will feel blessed to be so well supervised and considered. This will have a significant impact on your talent retention and productivity!

Position yourself as an employer of choice: put forward the qualities of your company by offering your recruits working conditions as well as an extraordinary team!

Some tips to improve onboarding for new employees

You need to understand how to successfully integrate your new employees well before they join your organization. It starts with your first conversation during an interview and can last several weeks/months after your new colleague’s first day. However, setting up the perfect onboarding program for the successful integration of your new employees can be challenging if you’re not familiar with the concept.

How can you help integrate your new recruits? What factors impact the retention of your talent? To help you, here are nine practical tips to understand how to successfully integrate your new employees.

1. Announce the colleague’s arrival to your team before their first day

As you prepare, first announce the arrival of your new employee to the various teams in your company. This method will not only help you better prepare your staff to meet the new recruit, but will also allow you to involve your teams directly in subsequent meetings.

Using an internal newsletter, an internal chat or a team meeting, let your staff know that their colleague is joining your company. Describe their role in lay terms to ensure employees understand. Finally, involve the various stakeholders in the employee’s integration plan. Attentive and proactive colleagues will provide excellent coaching that will motivate your recruit to put their best foot forward!

Annoncez arrivée collègue avant première journéeIn the same vein, schedule meetings between your new employee and the various members of your staff so they can get to know each other. Quality time and a good first impression will give your recruit a sense of pride and belonging that will increase their commitment to your business. It is also a perfect opportunity for her to understand the role of the various departments in your organization. This is a great example of an onboarding plan for your new hire!

 

2. Send the new employee their first-week schedule before their first day

The first week of work can be very stressful for your recruit. A lack of guidance or clarification regarding the tasks to be performed can help demotivate them and, ultimately, resign from their position before they have even completed his or her training. In that sense, how can you successfully integrate your new employees?

The answer is simple: plan a detailed schedule for their first week, then send it to them before their first day at your company. This will help them better understand their role and prepare for the tasks ahead.

Email or text your new employee the schedule for their first week in your organization. Personalize the message with a few encouraging words to break the ice and express your enthusiasm to introduce it to your co-workers. This little attention will reassure them about their new job: they will feel considered and much more inclined to perform the tasks when the time comes. In turn, this will have a positive impact on their motivation at work. This is a great practice to successfully integrate new employees into your organization.

3. Give the new employee a welcome gift box

Knowing how to successfully integrate new employees is a key part of your planning. This is a crucial day that will determine their role within your organization. In that sense, it is important to put him at ease and let them know that you greatly appreciate their presence. What better way to do that than to give them a welcome gift box?

By definition, a welcome gift box is a representative set of values as well as the organizational culture of your business. This personalized gift in your brand colors is a great way to surprise your new colleague while congratulating them on their new role!

As an example, in your welcome box you can find:

  • Interesting training materials related to your new employee’s position;
  • Promotional items from your brand (sweater, cap, coffee cup, etc.)
  • Snacks, drinks, cups or thermos for breaks;
  • Office utility items (pens, pencils, charger, notebook, etc.);
  • A team photo;
  • An invitation for a five to seven, ideal to meet other colleagues;
  • And more!

Offrez boite cadeau bienvenue

If you want to learn how to successfully integrate new employees, keep in mind that a welcome package will certainly give your recruits a sense of belonging that will warm their heart. This little thought will have a considerable impact on the commitment as well as the retention rate of your talents from their first day!

4. On their first day, complete a full company introduction to the new employee

Of course, a key aspect of successfully welcoming and integrating your new employees is the complete presentation of your company. This introduction will allow you to explain to your employee the objectives and values of your organization, but also to describe in detail your organizational culture.

On your employee’s first day, give them a warm welcome and offer them a drink before inviting them to your office. Using an organizational chart, explain your organizational structure and the roles of your various teams, including Human Resources.

Presentation complete entrerpise

Once your culture and organizational structure have been broken down, explain your values, missions, regulations and working conditions, including those of remote work if necessary. Afterward, you may even ask your employee to view informative videos or even read documents to better understand your company’s history. This is an excellent opportunity to let him know about the philosophy and mission of your organization.

Remember that this meeting is crucial for your employee. It allows them to better understand their role within your company, but also to adapt to your values and objectives. Keep this in mind when learning how to successfully integrate new employees.

5. Introduce the new employee to their co-workers

Now that your employee is familiar with your organizational structure, you can introduce them to their new co-workers. In this sense, organize several meetings to make sure you present it well to your teams.

On-site, rent a free room to avoid disturbing some of your co-workers at work. Organize a large group meeting: invite the available staff to join you with a good coffee to introduce your recruit.

When working from home, schedule a meeting with your teams to introduce your new employee. Using software like Zoom or Google Meet, set up a video conference at the right time to introduce your recruit. Keep this in mind when learning how to successfully integrate new employees via online work!

During the meeting, create a brief professional portrait of your employee, then let them express themselves freely so that they can develop their own interpersonal relationships. This presentation will allow her to get to know her co-workers better, but also to understand their role within your company. This is a great way to strengthen your organization’s sense of belonging!

Don’t hesitate to schedule one-on-one meetings with the heads of your various departments. In this way, your employee will be able to better understand the issues surrounding the various positions in your company and will know who to refer to if necessary!

6. Plan a team lunch to welcome the colleague less formally

After a more formal meeting to meet the colleague, it is interesting and pleasant to plan a team dinner. This warm welcome around a delicious meal will allow your new employee to socialize in a light and friendly environment!

Diner equipe accueillir colleguesThis less formal meeting is an ideal opportunity for your recruit to build quality relationships with his new colleagues. Through these exchanges, they will be able to talk about their values, goals, passions and interests. These subjects, although not work-related, will allow them to learn more about themselves as human beings. This is a great opportunity to build trust that will result in a strong and proactive team. Keep this in mind when learning how to successfully integrate new employees!

7. Detail your integration plan

Once the meetings are over, it is now time for your new employee to get to work. In that sense, it is important to explain in detail your integration plan to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their first weeks in your company.

Before they begin their tasks, introduce them to the various content related to your organization. Knowing your websites, blogs and social networks will allow them to get involved in your brand image and increase your online visibility. This is a must when learning how to successfully integrate new employees into your organization!

Do not hesitate to offer them the relevant training to broaden their knowledge related to their position. This will allow them to do their job better, and perhaps even help you discover certain trends or optimizations related to their role.

Finally, explain their mission within your company. Provide details of their upcoming goals, work and future projects directly related to their position. This overall vision will allow your employee to feel confident in the tasks ahead. This is an important aspect to increase your motivation at work!

8. Provide details of your new employee’s position

Now that your employee knows your organizational structure, their colleagues and their integration plan, it’s time for them to integrate their position.

To this end, take the time to clearly describe the first tasks related to your position. Advise them on the tasks to be performed in order to optimize their time and resource management. In this way, they will be more productive, which will contribute to their esteem and motivation at work.

Provide your employee with adequate tools to enable them to perform the required tasks proactively and effectively. When working from home, offer a laptop or access to an internal chat to facilitate remote work. At the office, give them access to a computer, notebooks, pens and a dedicated filing cabinet to help them with their work.

Finally, did you know that according to Microsoft, the presence of a mentor or resource person can improve the productivity of your new employees by 97%? In this sense, be sure to clearly define the role of your managers and human resources when you’re learning how to successfully integrate your new employees.

Remember: good coaching will help your recruits improve their job performance. This will give them a sense of pride and belonging that will make them want to stay in your business!

9. Set up recurring follow-up meetings with assigned contact

How to successfully integrate new employees? According to a study conducted by Bradon Hall Group, a good follow-up when welcoming and onboarding new employees can increase your talent retention by up to 82%. In this sense, it is crucial to provide your employees with the coaching and support they need on their first day in your organization.

Organisez rencontres suivis reccurents avec personne ressourceAt the beginning of their arrival in your organization, take the time to meet with them very frequently, about three times a week. This follow-up will allow you to identify their difficulties and to support them if necessary. This support will be greatly appreciated by your recruits: they will feel considered and will carry out their work to the best of their knowledge. On the other hand, these meetings will also allow you to better adapt the workload of your new employees according to their abilities in order to optimize their well-being towards your company.

Sending employee satisfaction surveys can be very useful in this follow-up. These surveys sent at the desired time will allow you to gather valuable information to measure the motivation of your new employees with regard to their working conditions as well as their management. This way, you can better adapt to the real needs of your recruits!

Although these physical meetings are less frequent over time, they are essential in order to successfully integrate new employees. You will also be able to send continuous surveys. A good follow-up of your talents will allow you to ensure their well-being from the beginning of their career. Keep this in mind to improve your motivation and employee retention!

The importance of sending employee surveys at each stage of the process

No one likes to enter a company to be left on their own after the first week of work. This sudden abandonment on the part of managers and team leaders can make your new employee confused, overworked and discouraged from the tasks at hand. These feelings can ultimately lead to their withdrawal and then their resignation.

To avoid creating this feeling for your new employees, send them regular employee satisfaction surveys. This good follow-up will allow you to gather relevant feedback based on real facts. So, when learning how to successfully integrate your new employees, you will be able to better adapt to their needs at the moment. You may even want to rely on an exit interview survey to improve your employee experience. This is a great way to maximize the satisfaction of your current teams!

To help you, here are some examples of questions to ask during a satisfaction survey for new employees:

  • Does your position match the description you were given when you were hired?
  • Do you feel that you have the tools and guidance to do your job?
  • Do you understand your role in our company?
  • Are you interested in your current position?
  • Did you have time to meet with your co-workers?
  • Did you have time to meet with your team leaders?
  • Do you appreciate our organizational culture?
  • Do you understand the organizational structure of our company?
  • Do you have regular meetings with your manager?
  • Does your mentor provide you with the necessary coaching for the job?
  • In your opinion, is the assigned workload adequate?

Some examples of scale questions

  • On a scale of 1 to 10, what is your overall satisfaction with your integration so far?
  • On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with your job?
  • On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you subscribe to our corporate culture?
  • On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you think your work is appreciated?
  • On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you feel you belong to your team?
  • On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend our business to a friend or relative?

Some examples of open-ended questions

  • What are your expectations for your position?
  • What is your biggest challenge so far?
  • So far, what have you enjoyed the most about welcoming and integrating into our company?
  • How can we help you do your job better?
  • Do you have any tips to help us improve the onboarding of new employees?

Satisfaction survey new employees

How can InputKit help to successfully integrate new employees?

Have some difficulty assessing the motivation of your teams? Do you want to contribute more to the well-being of your new employees? If so, InputKit’s employee performance evaluation and improvement solution is for you!

Thanks to our solution, you will have a clear idea of the work done by your staff. In fact, our fully automated solution collects the answers to your customer satisfaction surveys in order to turn them into employee feedback. So, through this concrete feedback, you will be able to provide good feedback to your new employees and potentially understand some of the difficulties related to the tasks of your new employees when they are welcomed and onboarded. This way, you can clarify the role of your recruits and coach them according to their needs!

In addition, at the end of these surveys, our solution also encourages your satisfied customers to leave a positive review online. These positive opinions and feedback can be shared with your staff to motivate them. This is an asset for the commitment and retention of your new employees: seeing that their work is appreciated and recognized, they will be motivated to give the best of themselves in order to accomplish the work requested. This is a good example of how to successfully integrate new employees!

Finally, InputKit will soon be offering employee satisfaction surveys. As part of onboarding your new employees, you will be able to fully automate and personalize the follow up of your recruits in order to inquire about their well-being throughout their first weeks of work.

These satisfaction surveys, sent at the agreed time, will allow you to gather valuable information regarding the integration of your new employee. The performance indicators will reveal to you their appreciation as well as their well-being towards the management and support received during this critical period in your company. Over the weeks, you will be able to better adapt to the concrete needs of your recruits to provide them with adequate support. This way, you can learn how to successfully integrate new employees. This is a must for the retention of your talent, especially in this labor shortage!

Donnez retroactions concretes

While learning how to successfully integrate new employees can be complex, follow our best practices to provide your recruits with the support they need as soon as they arrive!

Before your employee’s first day, announce their arrival to your colleagues via a newsletter, an internal chat or a team meeting. Organize their schedule for the first week, then email them so they can better prepare for the tasks ahead.

On their first day at your company, greet them warmly with a welcome gift box. Walk them through your organizational structure using an organizational chart and then introduce them to your colleagues and team leaders via a group meeting or videoconference. Don’t hesitate to plan a team dinner so they can get to know each other better in a less formal environment!

Once the presentations are completed, explain your onboarding plan to your new employee. Describe their role in detail and then meet regularly to follow-up on their integration with your company. This will allow you to better adapt to their needs and ultimately improve the retention of your talent.

Now that you know the different factors to consider when successfully integrating new employees, do you need a solution to better coach your teams? If you want to improve your employee experience, don’t hesitate to schedule a free demo of our solution right now with our subject matter experts. This will allow you to optimize the motivation and satisfaction of your staff at work!

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