A new employee in the workplace is exciting for everybody.
Besides the fact that there’s just something intangibly nice about having a fresh face around the office, a new employee also brings with him or her a kind of vitality to the work setting.
They have a fresh perspective and a whole new set of ideas to draw from. Though we’ve all been the new employee at one time or another, it can sometimes be difficult to remember just how that felt.
Yet it’s important to keep in mind that the first few weeks of an employee’s tenure are crucial for setting the tone in the office for him or her. Following are some ideas about how you can help your new employee make a successful transition in your workplace just by setting up his or her desk:
1. Make your employee feel like their new desk truly belongs to just them: Of course, there has probably been somebody else using it before, but it shouldn’t feel like a hand-me-down. Make certain that his desk and work area are given a good cleaning before he arrives for work.
Ideally have IT run checks on everything on their computers as well. We had a pretty funny story of a new employee showing up for their first day and his computer was completely dead on arrival. It was a bit embarrassing at first, but we can now all laugh about it.
2. Make certain that the new area is stocked with all of the small things that will help make his transition a more comfortable one: Of course, this means pens, highlighters, a stapler, folders, and so on. But it also means preparing a handy cheat sheet for the new employee.
Are there any network passwords or company-wide sign-ins that he’ll need to know? Does your company utilize any specific business software that he should be aware of? By anticipating these kind of needs for your new employee, you can help cut down on any unintentional awkwardness.
Think about it – being new to a job doesn’t just mean learning the requirements of your job, but also how the new office place functions. New employees often have a lot of questions, which can make them feel as if they are burdening their co-workers.
So try to foresee as many of these as possible and provide your employee with an easy handbook full of answers right on his desk.
3. A great way to help get your employee settled into his new job is to provide him with a welcome guide: Put together a document that has a photo of all of the employees your new hire will be working with. Include a quick summary of each of his co-workers job descriptions.
It’ll make the process of learning everyone’s name go a lot more smoothly for your new employee. In addition, it will also be a handy reference when he’s trying to figure out who he should be asking about all of his new-to-the-job inquiries.
With a bit of forethought and effort, you can make certain that your new employee finds his new office a hospitable place to be.
