You spent months recruiting. You made the offer. They accepted. Everyone celebrated. Then they walked through the door and found an empty desk, no computer login, and maybe a manager too busy to say hello.
As you might know, the first 90 days determine whether someone stays or starts looking again. And most companies blow it before lunch on day one. Often, it’s not something they do this on purpose. After all, everybody is busy putting fire out.
What It Feels Like to Be New
In 1983, I entered the United States with $5, two shirts, and one pair of pants. I did not speak any English. Suddenly, I found myself in a strange land. Confused. Disoriented.
It felt surreal and overwhelming. I couldn’t hold a conversation because of the language barrier. I found myself isolated even in crowded rooms. Everything I knew about social interaction no longer applied.
It was a struggle. I wondered if I would ever make it in this country.
Have you ever felt that way?
Maybe you started a new job and there was a big learning curve ahead of you. Maybe you walked into a meeting and everyone knew each other except you. Maybe you sat at your desk wondering if you belonged there at all.
That’s exactly how your new hires feel. They don’t speak the language yet. They don’t know the unwritten rules. They don’t know who to ask for help or where the bathroom is.
Your job is to make sure they don’t stay confused for long. You want to make them feel at home the very first day.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
Here’s something I’ve learned from speaking to teams at companies like Aflac, Coca-Cola, and Verizon Wireless:
People will come for the job and the salary. But they will stay because of the community.
Read that again. This may not make sense to many people, especially those motivated by money. But it’s a fact.
You can have great benefits. You can have competitive pay. You can have a fancy office with free snacks. None of it matters if people feel invisible.If they don’t feel connected to like-minded individuals.
Research consistently shows half of workplace employees are not properly recognized. And we all know the consequences. When recognition is absent, engagement suffers. When engagement suffers, people leave.
It’s that simple.
So let’s talk about what you can actually do to make new hires feel like they belong from the very first day.
How to Make New Hires Feel Welcome
1. Prepare Before They Arrive
The welcome starts before they walk through the door. It’s kind of like a visitor is coming to your house. You prepare before they arrive.
Make sure their desk is ready. Make sure their computer works. Make sure their email is set up. Make sure someone knows they’re coming.
This sounds basic. But you would be shocked how many companies fail at these simple things. Nothing tells a new hire they don’t matter quite like showing up to an empty desk with no chair.
Send them a welcome email a few days before they start. Tell them what to expect. Tell them where to park. Tell them what to wear. Remove the guessing. Express excitement about their joining the team.
2. Assign a Welcome Buddy
Your new hire needs one person they can ask the dumb questions to without feeling embarrassed.
Not their manager. Not HR. A peer. Someone who remembers what it felt like to be new. Someone who can tell them where the good coffee is and which meetings actually matter.
That reminds me of the first time I bought a house in the US. I still remember my neighbor who welcomed me. He told me everything I would need. He even offered to lend me his lawn mower until I got mine.
This buddy or co-worker should check in every day for the first week to make sure everything is going well for the new hire. The goal is simple:
Make sure the new person never feels alone.
When I was new to America, I found people who showed me the way. They taught me how things worked. Without them, I would have been lost. Your new hires need those same guides.
3. Make Day One About Belonging, Not Paperwork
Yes, there’s paperwork. Yes, there’s compliance training. But don’t let that be the whole first day.
Think of the first day as post-purchase assurance in marketing. Make them feel they made the right choice.
Introduce them to the team. Take them to lunch. Give them a tour. Let them meet people.
The paperwork can wait until day two. The feeling of belonging cannot.
Think about it. When someone joins your family, you don’t hand them a stack of forms and leave them in a room. You welcome them. You introduce them around. You make them feel like they’re one of you now.
Do the same for your new hires.
4. Set Clear Expectations Early
Confusion kills confidence. Do your best to eliminate any sign of confusion. Clarity is king. Always ask them if there’s anything you need to clarify for them.
Your new hire wants to succeed. They want to impress you. But they can’t do that if they don’t know what success looks like.
In the first week, sit down with them. Tell them exactly what you expect in the first 30, 60, and 90 days. Tell them how they’ll be evaluated. Tell them what good looks like and what great looks like.
Don’t assume they’ll figure it out. They won’t. They are not mind readers. And the stress of not knowing will make them second guess everything.
5. Check In Often
Most managers check in during the first week and then disappear. Don’t do that.
Schedule regular check ins for the entire first 90 days. Once a week minimum. These don’t have to be long. 15 minutes is enough.
Ask how they’re doing. Ask what’s confusing. Ask what they need. Then actually listen to the answers.
The new hire won’t always tell you when they’re struggling. They don’t want to look weak. But if you ask the right questions in the right way, they’ll open up.
6. Celebrate Small Wins
Your new hire completed their first project. Acknowledge it.
They made their first sale. Celebrate it. They survived their first month. Mark the milestone.
Recognition doesn’t have to be big. A simple “I noticed what you did, and it mattered” goes a long way to boost confidence. Most people are starving for acknowledgment.
When you acknowledge someone, you’re telling them they belong. You’re telling them their work has meaning. You’re telling them they made the right choice coming to your company.
7. Connect Them to Purpose
Here’s what keeps people engaged long term: Make them feel their work matters.
Don’t just tell new hires what to do. Tell them why it matters. Connect their daily tasks to the bigger mission. Help them see how their piece fits into the puzzle.
People want to contribute. They want to make a difference. When they can see the impact of their work, they’ll give you everything they have.
When they can’t see it, they’ll start updating their resume.
The Bottom Line
Making new hires feel welcome isn’t complicated. It just takes intention.
- Before they arrive
- Give them a buddy
- Make day one about belonging
- Set clear expectations
- Check in often
- Celebrate wins
- Connect them to purpose
Do these 7 things and you’ll see a transformation. Your new hires will stop second guessing their decision. They’ll start contributing faster. They’ll stay longer.
No condition is permanent. The confused, disoriented feeling your new hire has on day one doesn’t have to last. You have the power to change it.
The question is: will you?
What’s one thing your company does to make new hires feel welcome? I’d love to hear what’s working for you.
0 Comments