Countdown to the new job

We don't need to tell you that you should give new colleagues a warm welcome on their first day at work. But the eager anticipation of the new job actually starts as soon as the contract is signed. The period between this formality and the actual commencement of employment is called pre-boarding. Because of the notice period this can be several weeks to months and it is necessary to keep contact with the colleague-to-be warm.

Send, for example, a welcome e-mail with all kinds of useful information such as a link to the working at the company site or why not a playful countdown timer. Or surprise the new employee with a welcome package that the head of department delivers to his or her home?

In any case, pre-boarding not only ensures a flying start, it also helps to minimize the stress associated with a first day at work.

The first weeks are crucial

Successfully integrating new colleagues within your company is called onboarding. In the HR world, this term is synonymous with a 90-day period starting from the first day of work. Research shows that within this timeframe new employees determine whether they like the job or not and whether they want to commit to your organization for a longer period.

Many companies have already paid attention to a successful first day at work with the layout of the workplace, a tour and a presentation of the team, but the onboarding process is so much broader than that. Here are a few tips in advance:

• Provide a 'godfather' or onboarding buddy to whom the employee can always go with questions.
• Formulate clearly what you expect from the new colleague within the first 30, 60 and 90 days and set milestones. Not only does this provide a clear footing, but it also makes it easy to evaluate.
• Ask regularly how the new colleague is doing.
• Prepare an onboarding checklist and adjust it regularly based on feedback from new employees.

Onboarding pays off

Companies that focus on onboarding, go for sustainable employment. This is evident from research conducted by Vlerick Business School into onboarding processes in Belgian companies. This survey shows that employees who start well prepared on the first day of work are not only settled in faster but are also more positive about their new employer. The research from Vlerick also indicated that the longer the process lasts, the greater the cost savings for the employer and the greater the motivation for the employee to stay.

Still looking to improve your candidate experience? Download the candidate experience checklist!