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?Just because the workweek often starts on Monday doesn’t mean new hires should start then. Try Wednesday instead to give IT and managers a chance to correct outstanding onboarding issues.<\/p>\n
![\"Marina](\"http:\/\/squarehr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/onboard-new-hires-thoughtfully-to-encourage-retention-1.jpg\")
That was one of the recommendations provided by Marina Galatro, SHRM-SCP, an executive HR consultant at Newport Insurance Services LLC in Dallas, during the preconference workshop “Compliance Bootcamp\u2014Fundamentals of HR, Leave and Benefits,” at the SHRM Annual Conference & Expo 2023 in Las Vegas on June 11.<\/p>\n
Mondays and Tuesdays can be hectic for existing staff, Galatro said, so new hires can wind up neglected if they have to start then. The first two days of the week may be full of meetings at many organizations, so the new hire might feel at the outset that they aren’t contributing to anything\u2014and they might not have a “wonderful experience” during onboarding.<\/p>\n
First impressions count, Galatro emphasized, adding that most new hires know within the first six months if they’re going to stay.<\/p>\n
Before Day One<\/p>\n
Galatro said that before day one, whether for onsite or remote employees, employers should:<\/p>\n
For new hires before day one, employers also should: <\/p>\n
Week One<\/p>\n
Galatro said the first week’s agenda should include:<\/p>\n
Onsite new hires should shadow a colleague, and their workstations should be fully set up. For remote employees, the employer should confirm that all equipment has been received and set up at home.<\/p>\n
The new employee should have an in-person or virtual end-of-week check-in with HR.<\/p>\n
Galatro encouraged employers to smooth the new hire’s onboarding experience to increase the likelihood that they’ll stay. Many employers have a welcome lunch for a new employee. If the worker is virtual, send them a gift card for lunch, she recommended.<\/p>\n
What About Notices for Remote Employees?<\/p>\n
One question Galatro frequently fields is what to do about required notices for remote employees. The laws haven’t caught up to the electronic world, she said. <\/p>\n
One possibility: When employees log on to the human resources information system (HRIS), a link to the required posters could be there. <\/p>\n
Employers might pin required notices to a dedicated channel on messaging platforms like Slack or Teams, Galatro said. An employer also might mail notices to remote employees and tell them where to get updated notices online or via internal communications.<\/p>\n
Another option is to provide information about where to access the posters when employees sign and acknowledge that they’ve read an employee handbook.<\/p>\n
“Make sure you pay attention to required font size” with the posters, Galatro said.<\/p>\n