Guest blog from Ziik. Ziik has rethought the intranet with an all-in-one communication platform that ensures better engagement for your employees. With native mobile applications, a user-friendly UX, and a unique structure, all employees will find the information they need and be kept in the loop for updates relevant to their specific roles.
Starting a new job and meeting new colleagues on the first day can be daunting to many people. However, if you give new hires access to your company’s information and communication tools as soon as the contract is signed, they can familiarize themselves with their new colleagues and new workplace before their first day.
As an employer, putting the time between signing the contract and the first day of work to good use makes perfect business sense; This is a unique window of opportunity where new hires are eager to engage with their new place of work. It will save time on onboarding once they start, and decrease time-to-performance, which in return means that they create value faster.
Some tips for helping new hires engage with your company before their first day:
- Give them access to your social intranet software as soon as the contract is signed
- Encourage new hires to send a quick message introducing themselves to their new colleagues
- Encourage current employees to greet new hires on the social intranet
Early Learning Saves Time
By giving new hires early access to your company’s learning tools and social intranet, they can familiarize themselves with things like employee handbooks, dress codes, company policies, and similar topics. This will save time and ensure a smooth start for the new employees.
Giving new hires access to information before the first day will help them:
- Get an idea of the company culture
- Learn about the company policies
- More knowledgeable about products and services
Visiting the Virtual Office
If the company has a virtual office, such as an intranet or an organizational mapping tool, it can be helpful to invite the employee before the first day. This way, the employee can learn about the organizational structure, colleagues' roles, and faces. Providing the employee with such context allows them to feel more comfortable and confident on their first day.
Communicate with Your New Hires
Make sure to reach out, engage and communicate with your new hires in advance. Let them know they are welcome to ask any questions they might have and make sure to point out where the information they need can be found. This will save time once they start.
Make the Answers Easy to Find
The first days at work are typically overwhelming with information. Some employees love to ask questions, whilst some love to figure things out on their own.
By ensuring that all the answers are available online, a manager, professional buddy, or co-worker can both answer the questions and refer back to the online portal as the source of information, tending to all types of personalities. Managers still need to make sure the answers are easily available to employees so they can find what they need when they need it.
All in One Place
The more prepared new employees feel, the more comfortable and productive they will be once they start. Gather everything on one platform and make it accessible to new employees as soon as the contract is signed. This way, they can find everything they need in one place and won't have to worry about forgetting anything.
By providing new employees with early access to information and communication tools, you are boosting your onboarding process and building employee engagement early by helping them get off to a good start.