How To Create First Day Magic: Tips And Tricks For A Memorable Start
Can you remember how you felt on the first day of your job?
How a team member is welcomed into an organisation will have a long-term impact on how they feel about the organisation. This begins on their first day and continues throughout the formal orientation and longer-term onboarding process.
The new team member’s first day is a one-off, never-to-be-repeated opportunity to create a memorable experience and it starts with how the leader welcomes them.
I once read that no one is ever as attentive as on their first day. As a service leader, it is important to consider following question:
‘How do I make their first day magical?’
Even before their first day, make a phone call to say hello and let the team member know how excited you are that they are joining the team. Confirm where to meet or start and give them an idea of what to expect on their first day. These all show thoughtful consideration before they commence.
Ask yourself what you want their first day to be like. How do you want them to feel? What do you want them to say at the end of their first day?
Over the years, I have heard far too many horror stories from team members turning up to reception with no one there, being left waiting at reception, taken to a desk with a computer, and then left alone for a couple of days. One of the worst stories I ever heard was of a team member who spent their first day ‘buddying’ with one of the company’s most disgruntled, negative team members, cleaning out his van and sharing how much he despised the company they worked for.
The day-one experience stays with us for a long time and can impact how valued a team member will feel.
It is also an important opportunity to talk about the importance of the customer to the organisation and the role the team member will play in the overall customer experience. Make them feel important and connect them with the purpose and why what they do matters.
For those arriving at the office on their first day, a service leader will be in reception waiting to greet the team member, just like welcoming a special guest at a five-star hotel. It is arranging for the team member to meet the rest of the team and key stakeholders. It could be organising a welcome morning tea or a one-on-one lunch, depending on whether it is a single hire or welcoming several team members. It is all about intentionally creating the experience for them.
I ask leaders to consider what they want the team member to say when they arrive home after their first day.
Will they be excited about returning the next day, confident they have made the right decision?
In the new world of work, not all inductions will be in person, with additional thought necessary for virtual first days, orientations and onboarding experiences. The same principles apply, with considerations about fostering human connection and making it engaging and memorable, albeit via a virtual experience. This may include the welcome pack sent to the team member’s home or their favourite coffee or lunch delivered to their doorstep. It takes care, consideration and creativity to make a virtual first day unforgettable!
In the words of Jay Samit, “Onboarding starts with satisfying the most basic of Maslow’s psychological needs: belonging. New hires shouldn’t arrive to an empty cube and be forced to forage through corridors searching for a computer and the bare necessities of office life. A new hire isn’t a surprise visitor from out of town. Plan for their arrival.”
A great service leader ensures all elements of the first day are considered before the team member’s arrival. That includes having everything ready for them, it may include a welcome pack or gift, and the computer and all passwords and access to systems organised. Preparation is the key.
What is the first day experience like for team members who joined your organisation?In the new world of work, not all inductions will be in person, with additional thought necessary for virtual first days, orientations and onboarding experiences. The same principles apply, with considerations about fostering human connection and making it engaging and memorable, albeit via a virtual experience. This may include the welcome pack sent to the team member’s home or their favourite coffee or lunch delivered to their doorstep. It takes care, consideration and creativity to make a virtual first day unforgettable!
In the words of Jay Samit, “Onboarding starts with satisfying the most basic of Maslow’s psychological needs: belonging. New hires shouldn’t arrive to an empty cube and be forced to forage through corridors searching for a computer and the bare necessities of office life. A new hire isn’t a surprise visitor from out of town. Plan for their arrival.”
A great service leader ensures all elements of the first day are considered before the team member’s arrival. That includes having everything ready for them, it may include a welcome pack or gift, and the computer and all passwords and access to systems organised. Preparation is the key.
What is the first day experience like for team members who joined your organisation?
