Why You Should Have a ‘One Page Guide’ for New Hires and How To Create One
Why You Should Have a ‘One Page Guide’ for New Hires and How To Create One
The welcoming and onboarding process for your new employees will create a strong first impression and have an enormous impact on how they feel about the company.
An effective onboarding process equips new employees with the resources and knowledge they need to be successful in their new roles, fosters company culture, and shows the employee how well the company is invested in their professional growth. This improves job performance and retention rates. According to LinkedIn, 77% of employees who went through a formal onboarding program achieved their first performance goals.
Part of the onboarding process should include a ‘one page guide’ provided to the employee prior to their first day. An employee's first day can be overwhelming. But by providing them with basic information and a little more about what to expect, the new hire will feel welcomed and eager to start. The one page guide should provide an overview of the company and culture and cover basic information.
How to write a one page guide for your new employee:
First start with a welcome message to help your new starters feel appreciated. An example is:
{Name},
I am really looking forward to you starting with the team. We are glad you chose to be a part of our team and are looking forward to having you join us.
Then provide some general information on the company culture and team:
Some good things to know about our team are:
We love a good laugh and a good dad joke
We always finish our Fridays with an early mark to have a meeting about the week, and often go out for a drink as a team after
We have a team meeting on Mondays at 9am. This is a really important meeting to join every week, as we plan out our week as a team
The company:
Everyone wears casual on Fridays
Once a month we have an off-site on a Friday as we go out for lunch
Finally you want to give the new starter some good insights on how you work and what your preferences are. Some example are:
I have no issue with people making mistakes as long as they let me know straight away and keep me informed
If you are seeking guidance on an issue, I prefer if you could also provide your recommended solutions to these problems, rather than just asking me for an answer
I have a weekly meeting with each team member. I really appreciate when people come prepared to get the most out of the meeting
My door is always open to have a chat about work or life in general - I am here to support you
Please be honest if something is bothering you, I don't like to sit on things and I would rather my team not either
At times I can be hard on my team but it does come from a good place, I want to see you succeed. If you ever feel intimidated please let me know. Being too full on without realising is something I am working on
Why is onboarding important?
An effective onboarding process is beneficial for your new employee, you and your team, and the company. By creating an efficient onboarding process you provide a great first impression and set clear expectations from the start of your new employees career with your company. It ensures your new employees hit the ground running to reach performance goals sooner.
For further recruitment support, the team at Reimagine Talent are always here to assist you in your recruitment process, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.