There are a lot of things you can do at the department or supervisor level to help people have a great experience as they start working for BYU. If you take a little time to be intentional about the experience, it can make a big difference.
Start before their first day. Send your new colleague a note that welcomes them and gives an agenda for their first few days. Let them know what they will doing, help them understand the dress code, where to park, and anything else you think will be helpful for them to bring or know as they arrive. This helps bring down the anxiety of a new hire. It also pushes you to plan out their first few days. Nobody wants to be dropped in an office without email access and told to read through a few manuals last updated in 2003 while you scramble to find things for them to do. Plan ahead to create a good experience.
Focus on that first day. What will they see when they arrive? A poster or balloons can help make it a welcoming event. Several departments will also have some sort of welcome kit waiting for the new hire at their desk. A little swag can really help someone feel a part of the team. Plan out their lunch on that first day and give them a chance to meet others and have something interesting to do. Consider starting them on a Friday. They will get a chance to come in and have a great experience before a weekend break. Your goal is to have them go home and tell their loved ones how excited they are to go back to work.
Get others in on the fun. Planning a group lunch or activity can help them meet everyone. I spoke with one person whose company has everyone in the department record a short video (<30 seconds) welcoming the new hire and sharing their best tip for the first day. Send the videos a couple of days before they start work. Another person shared how they have a list of everyone’s favorite treat and on the first day the new hire gets a basket of those treats and the assignment to take them around as a way to meet everyone. Find ways to help everyone get involved.
Onboarding should also include helping the new hire get up to speed on their job and the rules. This doesn’t have to be dropped on them all at once. Create a plan for the key policies or procedures they need to know and a timeline for how and when they will learn them. Consider assigning a mentor for all or parts of the job who they can turn to with questions or for help. You might want to think through these and have a resource available where they can find policies, rules, and guidelines. Who do they call for maintenance? What are communication expectations in your office? Do you use email, Teams, calls? What are the expectations for response times? Don’t leave these things to chance. Clarifying these can be beneficial for the entire department.
Give your new hire a sense of purpose. Help them see from the very beginning why their job matters. One of the greatest sources of motivation comes from having a purpose. We are lucky to have such a great mission statement for our workplace. Help them see how their job fits into the overall mission of BYU. Start talking about it in the job interview and continue discussing it on their first day and beyond. Help them to find meaning in their daily tasks.
Help your new hire feel like they are welcomed, supported, and part of the team. Take some time with your current group and plan for what you will do for your next new hire to give them a memorable experience as they start working for BYU.