Are you overwhelming your new hire?

There is a lot to consider when you’re onboarding a new staff member. From making sure their desk is properly set up to coordinating who will be available to train them, you’ve got to do everything you can from day one to set your new hire up for success. It may seem daunting at first, but if you can approach the process in a logical, organized way, you can save yourself a ton of time and hassle. Here are six tips to guarantee a smooth transition.

1. Tell the team. Way before your new hire arrives on their first day, everyone in your workplace should be aware that they’ve been hired. Not only should your staff know the new hire’s name, but they should also be familiar with their background and role within your organization. Sending out a quick company-wide email introducing the new employee might sound like a frivolous activity, but imagine how welcomed your new hire will feel when everyone greets them by their first name! It’s a sign that your organization cares about its people and values relationship-building.
2. Facilitate in-person introductions. Integrating your new hire into the team doesn’t stop at one email. Be sure to take them around the office and personally introduce them to everyone they’ll be interacting with. You can also organize a team activity such as lunch or after-work drinks to get everyone acquainted, especially if your team doesn’t work in an office environment.
3. Explain your culture. You might not be consciously aware of it, but your organization has its own culture. Whether it’s obscure inside jokes or referring to co-workers by nicknames, there are quirks and traits about your organization that you will have to explain to your new hire in order for them to fully transition into their new role.
4. Create beautiful onboarding documents. You’ll be throwing a lot of new information at your new hire, and chances are they won’t remember it all. To make it less stressful on them store as much information as possible in a well-designed, straightforward document that they can reference whenever they need to.
5. Give them a break. First days can be nerve racking, so you absolutely need to give your new hire some time to breathe. Giving them a few minutes to think about what you’ve gone over or grab some water will help them stay refreshed throughout a day that would otherwise seem long and stressful.
6. Make yourself available. Just because your new hire has completed training and has access to your amazing onboarding documents doesn’t mean they still won’t have questions. Let them know explicitly that you and your team are available to them whenever they need a hand.

As a manager or member of human resources, it’s your responsibility to ensure your onboarding goes as seamlessly as possible. First impressions are lasting, so you really want to make sure your new hire starts on the right foot. To learn more about onboarding strategies watch our expert video Transitioning into a New Role/Starting a New Job from your LifeSpeak account, or book a demo to request access.

Originally published at lifespeak.com on September 20, 2016.