Fun Employee Onboarding Activities To Welcome New Members
Hiring new people is an anxiety-inducing process, both for the HR team and the newcomers. New employees have to sign documents and forms, meet new people, ask questions, and learn the ins and outs of the job, all in a short period. However, there are ways to destress all parties involved by adopting some fun and creative onboarding activities to welcome new hires to the team. Below are 10 amazing employee onboarding activities to ensure that your new employees' experience is pleasantly unforgettable. We also discuss the importance of incorporating onboarding activities into your organization's practices to create a better first impression for your new hires.
What Are Onboarding Activities?
When we refer to onboarding activities, we mean processes and actions that organizations design and implement in order to help employees acclimate to their new work environment. These activities can happen once or be iterative, depending on what they're trying to accomplish. For example, you only need to tour new employees around the facilities once, but you need to schedule regular feedback meetings to monitor their progress. Onboarding activities span throughout the onboarding process and can include anything from filling out paperwork and going through compliance training to meeting colleagues and participating in workplace events. Designing an effective onboarding strategy and following through is essential for the successful integration of new hires into your company and their productivity and effectiveness down the road.
The Importance Of Onboarding Activities
It's commonly known that onboarding activities are essential when new employees are entering your organization. But what are the specific benefits they bring? Let's take a look at them to better understand why your company needs them.
Understanding Of The Role And Responsibilities
Starting a new job is a complicated process. New employees can't just walk in and start completing tasks, even if they fit the job description perfectly. On the contrary, they need guidance during the first weeks of their employment so that they can understand in greater detail what their position entails, as well as the responsibilities that come with it. Make sure to communicate with your new addition on their first day, and even before that, to explain to them what the performance standards of your company look like, the processes they need to follow, and perhaps how their tasks align with overall organizational goals and the work of other departments. This will clarify what they are expected to do and reduce the odds of confusion or mistakes.
Engage Employees Early On
Usually, when employees start a new job, they are excited for this next chapter in their careers. However, this enthusiasm can wear off rather quickly if their new employer doesn't ensure a fast and smooth integration. Onboarding activities will help orient new employees, helping them start off on the right foot but, most importantly, showing them that leadership is interested in their progress. As they move through the onboarding process and realize how well-thought-out it is, they will realize that their new company is genuinely interested in helping their workforce evolve and develop. This will boost employee engagement and encourage them to stick around for a long time.
Faster Path To Productivity
Recruiting new employees takes time and may affect your company's productivity, especially if an important position sits vacant. For this reason, you don't want to stretch this period of reduced productivity into the onboarding stage. If you develop and implement the right onboarding activities, it will be much easier for new hires to get the hang of their role quickly and hit the ground running. This can be achieved through training sessions, mentoring, or buddy programs that will support employees as they try to figure out the ins and outs of their new position. This way, it won't be long before they can operate at the same pace as their colleagues and produce meaningful results for your organization.
Enhanced Talent Retention
One fact in the business world is that ineffective onboarding can cause employees to leave their new jobs within the first year. On the contrary, a well-designed and executed onboarding strategy enhances engagement and job satisfaction, ensuring a much longer collaboration with employees. This is because effective onboarding makes employees feel valued, appreciated, and supported as they take the next step in their professional journey. A good first impression sets the tone for the rest of their employment and helps foster a more meaningful relationship between employee and employer. Additionally, happy employees will advocate for your company, enhancing its position as a desirable place to work. Therefore, onboarding activities don't only retain talent but also attract it.
Reduced Anxiety And Stress
New jobs can stress out individuals for a variety of reasons, such as figuring out a new commute plan, meeting new people, and proving themselves adequate for their new role. While leaders and managers can't help solve all their issues, they can certainly alleviate some of their anxieties by providing effective onboarding. When employees have a clear plan, with goals and expectations for their first few months, the transition into their new job becomes much smoother and easier. Specifically, they know what they are expected to do, who they can turn to for questions and guidance, and how to communicate with leadership regarding concerns or goals for the future.
10 Ideas To Make New Employees Feel Welcome
1. Connect New Hires With The Team
Start someone's first day without assigning them any tasks, just welcoming them into the team and company. The best way to do so is by introducing them to their new colleagues and connecting them with the other members via bonding activities. Whether they bond by sharing funny personal and work stories or by having a cup of coffee in the break room, all the team members will appreciate it. This way, new hires will feel more familiar with their colleagues and the company, and the rest of the team will unwind a little welcoming the new employee.
Tip: Use onboarding software to make things easier. An onboarding system will help your new hires with their paperwork and documents while also being their onboarding buddy, explaining the company's policies, philosophy, etc.
2. Help Set Clear, Achievable Goals For The New Hire
A great way to start engaging new hires as soon as their first week is to set a path for the future. This entails laying out short and long-term goals that will help them adapt to the ways of your organization and kickstart their productivity. The initial goal-setting sessions you will have will probably mostly focus on promoting short-term organizational goals and helping employees align themselves with their team. But don't forget to discuss a long-term development plan for your new employees, including SMART goals that will help them forge a path to success.
3. Try Playful Activities To Break The Ice
What's better for breaking the ice than a game between team members? Whether you work in the office or remotely, a game is a great idea to help colleagues come together and collaborate with the new hire to solve anything except work-related problems. Try playing a scavenger hunt, which will work both in the office and virtually. Another good idea is a mystery game or a board game that will sharpen their thinking and communication skills.
4. Send Them An Employee Welcome Kit
Many companies send their new employees a welcome kit that contains office materials with the company's logo on them, like pens, pencils, a mouse pad, etc. Kits can also contain company swag, such as T-shirts, mugs, or stickers for their new computers. It is a thoughtful way to show them they are welcome and valued, and it will make them know you care for their needs and are happy to provide them with the necessary resources to help them with their job. Don't forget to include the employee handbook so that they can start exploring company policies as soon as possible.
5. Make Training Meaningful And Fun
Training is the most important part of the onboarding process. It can also make the new employees anxious and create confusion if it's not done properly. The best solution to that is to create a meaningful and fun training process with activities that will spark their interests. Try creating realistic and fun scenarios or WWYD questions that will make them ponder and come up with solutions. Through this, they will feel more prepared for the job tasks and less anxious.
6. Conduct A Memorable Company Tour
The office is a space your new employee will be spending a significant amount of time in. For this reason, you must make sure to help them feel comfortable by showing them where everything is and where every department is located. Try to make this walk-around a little more interesting and memorable by involving people and turning it into an interactive experience. Perhaps you can share a remarkable story here and there, notable achievements for different departments, or office anecdotes your new hire might find entertaining and indicative of your company culture. If you work remotely, this can work just as well with a virtual tour around the departments.
7. Ask What They Prefer
It's thoughtful to ask your new member what they prefer in terms of the hardware you are going to provide them. They may prefer an ergonomic office chair due to back problems or some noise-canceling headphones to help them concentrate. You don't have to get out of budget with their choices. You can go for the in-budget purchases that comply with what they will ask for. This smart move will make your new hires feel involved and appreciated. Another reason to solicit their input and feedback is to ensure that you choose the right tools and activities for their onboarding process. For instance, they might opt for more autonomous resources versus those that involve a social setting.
8. Check In With Your New Hire Often
The onboarding process can be a bit overwhelming for a new employee. Check with them throughout their onboarding days, even multiple times a day. You can ask them how they liked their training or their given tasks, or if they need any guidance. You can also check with them about their meetings with the other team members or if they like their new equipment. This will give them confidence knowing that they can reach out if they ever have a problem or question.
9. Have An "Onboarding Graduation" Party
Congratulations, your new hire has finished their onboarding! What is the greatest way to reward them, if not with an "onboarding graduation" party? The party doesn't have to be grand, just some balloons, some treats, and a congratulatory meeting with the whole team. It's a fantastic way to make them feel appreciated and create an emotional bond between them and the team. If you're working remotely, host the event via video conferencing so that everyone can take part and give their new team member a virtual pat on the back.
10. Announce New Hires On Social Media
It's important for new employees' morale that you share their addition to your organization. This will first happen on a company level, but why not share it on your official social media, too? Express your enthusiasm about this new addition to your workforce and share a few key points about them, such as their role, background, and perhaps their hobbies. This will encourage your other employees to give the new hire a warm welcome and link up so that they can communicate in the future. Additionally, the employee will be able to post this announcement to their personal page to announce to their friends and loved ones this new stage in their career.
Conclusion
Creating amazing employee onboarding activities doesn't have to be stressful or budget-breaking. It would be great to have your team members connect with your new hire first before assigning them tasks, or having them play some games together. You can also consider sending them a welcome kit and checking in about their preferences to make them feel valued and appreciated. You can also check out this list of the top content providers for onboarding to find the perfect outsourcing partner for your new hire training program.
