1) Have everything in order as agreed in offer letter and subsequent discussions.
- Office and basic office equipment
- Computer/Laptop
- Business Cards/Stationery
- Signing bonus/Expense Reimbursements
- Car/Car Allowance
- Cell Phone
2) Have someone (preferably their direct supervisor) meet them early on the first day to increase their comfort level before going on display to the entire staff.
Handle all introductions at a leisurely pace – encourage questions and note taking at the conclusion of each introduction.
3) Be certain Human Resources/Benefits coordinator is ready to meet when you bring the new hire to them (this should not be the first stop for your new hire).
4) Prepare an agenda for the day to include meetings and lunch with other people from your organization. Be certain your people understand their objectives for each meeting.
Lunch should be a small group of people the new hire will interact with regularly in order to foster relationship building.
5) Have all applicable resource material available for review.
- Employee/Company Operations Manual(s)
- Company Brochures/Videos
- Financial Statements and other applicable management reports
- Customer/Vendor files , contracts, and correspondence
6) Have meetings planned with key customers, vendors, professional service firms, and advisors as necessary.
7) Close the first day with a meaningful meeting.
- Set aside a specific time on the schedule.
- Have an agenda: take notes and follow up diligently on action items.
8) Set a plan for regular follow-up
- Direct Supervisor – weekly, for first 3 months minimum.
- Human Resources or other “non-direct” supervisor at 7 day, 30 day, 60 day and 90 day intervals.
9) The more attentive you are to new employee start-up issues – the easier the transition, more exciting the honeymoon, faster start to performance, and longer commitment to success.
10) Turnover – or worse yet the start of an extended period of poor performance – is not an event, it is a series of events and frustrations. Don’t let them start early!