As things start to get a bit brighter out there, a lot of companies are welcoming in that new sense of optimism by bolstering their teams with some new employees. Bringing in some fresh faces and new talent is always a revitalising and exciting time for a business, and after the inevitably long and difficult interview process, we are sure that you are raring to go and get them to work.
But if you are going to be continuing to work from home, or working from home at least part of the time as will probably be the new normal, it is important to remember that things are not as they once were. Bringing on a new team member is no longer as simple as showing them their desk, logging them into their email and getting to know them at the coffee machine.
Businesses need to go a little further to make life easier for new employees and to make them feel welcome. Here are a few tips to help you help them.
Look For Ways To Introduce Them To The Team
Since we started working remotely, so many of the casual interactions that we used to have with our colleagues and employees has been lost. There’s no more dropping by their desk to ask if they saw the episode of that show last night, no more taking the team out to lunch, no more offering people a lift if they’re working late. With that in mind, it is worth thinking about you can create moments of social interaction without it feeling forced. Suggesting meetups is a good idea, as it is always easier in the real world, but think about creating message groups for social chat, from sports to movies, or suggest activities that you can do individually and discuss as a team.
Look For Technology That Will Make Their Lives Easier
Although working remotely has removed a lot of the old ways of doing things, it has introduced new ways that we can engage with our work faster and allow people to keep track of our progress. Part of making your new employees feel confident and comfortable is by bringing them up to speed on the software that your company uses. Make sure that you set time aside for a proper induction even if you can’t do it in person. That means ensuring that they have everything they need to join your team seamlessly without having to put in request after request for access to storage sites and group chats.
A key part of making them feel valued is by giving them clear access to what benefits they have and what they could be working towards. An employee benefits platform allows them to access this information easily and to manage their information as they see fit. For example, they can log into Zest’s employee benefits portal and see when they are going to get paid and when they will be eligible for bonuses. Zest’s intuitive platform puts them in control, and they can work with your business to find the right solution for you.
Make Sure They Know They Are Supported
Part of feeling like a team is knowing that you have support there when you need it. It can always be hard to know what your team members are struggling with outside of work, but you can make it easier for them to feel like they have someone to talk to if they need it. COVID may be slowing down but it’s going to be around for a long time yet, so get a support structure in place now.
Make sure they know who they can go to with anything from an IT query to an HR complaint. If they have a lot of personal responsibilities, such as home-schooling or caring for a relative, encourage them to use flexible working hours so they can make up time without falling behind. Talk to them about health plans that your company offers so they know that they won’t be in trouble if they need time away because of illness.