New Employee Orientation

The best way to help a new employee settle into their new job with your company is to provide them with a new employee orientation.  If you don't already, you should have a standard procedure in place of how you introduce a new employee into the organization.

On the employees first day, they should be given the required paperwork to fill out.  Each state has forms for employees to fill out to report their tax withholdings, and each state also has requirements for the types of forms that must be kept in the employees file.  Be sure you have all the proper documentation.

 If applicable, you'll also want to provide information regarding the health plans options the employee has available to him or her, and the paperwork required to join the plan.  If there is a retirement program, also provide the necessary documentation for the employee to enroll. 

 Your company should have a written employee handbook, or manual of some kind, stating your company's policies and procedures.

If you don't already have one established, you will definitely want to look into having on created, whether members of your existing staff can create it, or if you need to hire outside the organization to have it made, it's good practice to have a written manual.  Let your new employee know that they can read the manual and who to speak to if they have any questions or concerns about anything they read in the manual.

 Finally, be sure that the manual is kept up to date.  As your company grows and changes, update any information in the manual before distributing it.

The new employee orientation should also include time for the employee to meet with coworkers, and learn who is responsible for what within the company, so they know who to go to with questions.   

Training of the new employee should also begin.  The length of time spent training an employee will vary greatly depending on the type of business you operate, as well as the specific job position that is being filled.  Allow for ample time for the new employee to learn the position completely, because one of the top causes for employees to leave their jobs within a month of being hired is due to inadequate training.

Try to have the most knowledgeable and patient staff assisting your new employee, to help make the transition as smooth as possible.  Remember that sometimes the best employees do not make the best teachers; you need someone who can patiently explain things down to the finest detail to provide training, not someone who can do the job in his or her sleep.

After a few weeks, be sure to follow up with your new employee to ask how he or she thinks things are going, and allow the employee to ask questions or voice concerns.