Congratulations! After several rounds of interviews, multiple internal meetings, juggling calendar availability, and negotiating a compensation package, you’ve extended an offer letter to an incredible candidate and they accepted! *happy dance*
While many companies will quickly begin preparing for a new hire’s first day, there often can be a ‘dark period’ during pre-boarding - the time between accepting an offer and starting a job. Going silent during this critical time period can be detrimental - consider Hireology’s finding that most job seekers are applying and interviewing at 10 or more jobs at once and could easily be receiving several offers over a short period of time.
If your brand new employee receives other offers while they haven’t heard anything from you before their first day, they may be much more likely to withdraw their offer and go elsewhere. And that can be costly. With over 16% of new hires quitting by the end of Week One - and the cost to replace them already adding up to over $4,000 on average - focusing on getting them excited before their first day is more critical than ever.
To create a best-in-class experience, consider adding the following to your employee pre-boarding roadmap:
If your company doesn’t have a formal peer-to-peer program in place, consider having a member of the HR team or a colleague on their functional team own communication and connection with new hires before their first day.
The schedule should include all calendar items, who they’ll be meeting with, and if the meetings are in person or virtual. Take it a step further and provide information about what team members typically wear in the office or on Zoom calls, if they need to pack a lunch or if one will be provided, and what time they should expect to log in or arrive / log off or leave each day. If they will be working in a hybrid or in-person capacity, make sure you address parking, building access, a general layout of the space, and nearby restaurants and gas stations.
One note about providing a detailed schedule for the first day/week: make sure you build in time for the employee to have self-study and reflection. It’s important to give them the space to do things like to organize their email and calendar, explore your company’s shared drive, read through onboarding information, say hi to new teammates, etc.
If your company doesn’t have branded merchandise or a company store to let your new hire shop from, consider providing them a gift card to a meal delivery service so they can purchase a morning coffee and snack, or a gas gift card to help them out with their commute that first week.
A handwritten welcome card from their direct manager and the CEO is a powerful and positive new hire experience. When 40% of workers say they never have met their CEO, a personalized introduction from them before their first day will stand out.
Included in pre-boarding paperwork should be a copy of the employee handbook, benefits information, a holiday calendar, organization charts for teams (with pictures), a copy of your Core Values and Mission Statement, and any other items that will help a new hire get acquainted.
If necessary, you can schedule a 15-minute paperwork review session on their first day to make sure they don’t have any outstanding questions or concerns.
The time between an accepted offer and a first day - Pre-boarding - is a perfect opportunity for your company to create a memorable first impression on your new team member and provide them the reassurance they made the right decision to say "Yes" to your organization.