Employee engagement ideally starts during the interview and hiring process. Next, an onbarding program should help the employee’s first few days go smoothly and comfortably. One easy thing to do is send an e-mail to a new hire a few days before he or she will start.
Need a little help with your “Welcome to the Company” e-mail? Try starting with something along these lines:
Hello [Name],
On behalf of [Company or Department Name], I would like to welcome you!
As you become more familiar with our company, you’ll find that it’s an exciting and vibrant place to work, with many talented people and diverse opportunities. We know that you’ll be an integral part of our team, and hope that you’ll take advantage of all that our company has to offer.
When starting a new job, there’s a lot to do and learn. Please know that there are many people here to help you and to answer any questions you may have — notably your supervisor, regional human resources team, office administrator, and co-workers. We want you to get the direction, support, and resources you need to be successful here, so please don’t hesitate to ask if you have questions.
Thank you for choosing us as the place where you can make a difference, learn, and grow. We’re glad that you’re here to contribute to, and share in, our success!
Sincerely,
[Name]
Don’t stop there, however. Think of your “Welcome to the Company” e-mail as an opportunity to share all sorts of useful info with your new hire. For example, you may include links to pages on your company website that include information about health and retirement benefits.
You could even go so far as to give the new hire access to your company intranet, where he can access such info as your company’s purpose, core values, and policies (including general company policies, IT policies, and so on), as well as contacts in HR and other key departments.
For best results, consider having both your HR rep and the hiring manager or direct supervisor send a welcome e-mail to the new employee. The message from the hiring manager or direct supervisor can be similar to the more corporate HR missive, but with a more personal touch. This is a great way to engage new staff — an employee’s connection with his immediate manager is one of the strongest contributors to engagement.