Five Ways to Help New Hires Get Acclimated to the Organization

The sooner we can get new hires acclimated to the organization, the quicker they become productive and contribute to the bottom line. Besides that, spending time to get new hires acclimated makes them feel welcomed and valued and provides a positive impression of the organization.

Here are five ways to help new hires get acclimated to the organization:

1. Introduce them to everyone with whom they will be working closely (team, workgroup, department)
   For example, “Jack – I would like you to meet Sarah. Sarah has been with the team for 2 years. She came to us from XYZ Corporation where she was a team lead in the customer service department. Sarah loves to go hiking in her spare time. Sarah – meet Jack. Jack just joined us from ABC Corporation. He was a team lead there, also in customer service. Like you, Jack loves to go hiking. He is new to the area, maybe you can share some of your favorite hikes with Jack?”
2. Arrange for the new hire to have lunch with some members of their team/group over the first week. This enables the team to get to know the new hire and vice versa.
3. Hold a team building event – either face-to-face or even virtually if needed.
4. Provide a mentor for the new hire – someone in the group who can help show them the ropes, understand formal and informal ways that things get done in the organization as well as be a sounding board for the new hire.
5. As the leader of the group – be available the first week for the new employee. Spend time with them so that the new hire becomes comfortable with the leader and vice versa.

These are just a handful of ways to help a new hire get up to speed and be comfortable in their new role. What are your best practices for helping a new hire acclimate to the organization?