Building strong relationships with new hires can be challenging in the middle of their employee journey. That’s why it’s necessary to establish trust at the beginning of the process, during onboarding.

In this blog, we’ll share tips on how you can effectively manage and strengthen your connection with your new team members to ensure long-term success and engagement.

 

Why Do You Need to Build Trust?

It’s crucial to gain the trust of your new employees right at the beginning. This will set the foundation for a positive perception and establish a healthy relationship among your team members. It will also encourage productivity and collaboration between company leaders and workers.

According to Paychex, half of new hires reported feeling underwhelmed by the onboarding, prompting them to quit as soon as possible.¹ What most employers don’t know is that 51 percent of employees would exert more effort if their onboarding were more engaging and personal.²

This shows how work relationships can powerfully influence an employee’s commitment. So, why wait until you’re working with the employee? Start at the beginning. Here’s how building trust helps.

Read more: Creating Enticing Job Posts

 

1. Retention

According to LinkedIn, proper relationship building during onboarding can yield an 82 percent increase in retention.³ Without a genuine connection, your new hires may feel undervalued before they even begin to perform their tasks.

 

2. Loyalty

Building healthy workplace relationships with your new hires will establish trust, which will increase their loyalty to you and the company. Most employees today don’t just look for a job that can give them a paycheck. They also value the overall experience, which includes job satisfaction, growth, flexibility, and work culture.

 

3. Employee Engagement

When your employees feel valued and cared for as individuals, they’re more likely to commit their time to the organization’s success. Aside from helping them blossom within your organization, they’ll also be more innovative, collaborative, and supportive of one another. This ensures a thriving organization driven by growth, productivity, and efficiency.

 

4. Performance and Productivity

In a trusting environment, employees will step up and take ownership of their responsibilities. Aside from being productive, their sense of belonging will encourage everyone to communicate clearly with one another and be accountable in their respective areas.

 

5. Company Culture Alignment

With increased trust, your new hires will resonate better with your company values and culture. While it’s important to find employees who can fit well within your organization, it’s still vital to let them connect naturally with the organization. This genuine connection not only ensures they will stay and grow within the company for a long time, but it will also encourage them to contribute meaningfully to the company’s success.

 

6. Collaboration and Teamwork

Most employees don’t collaborate simply because they don’t feel connected with their coworkers. With trust, you can avoid silos and let everyone contribute to the same goals and collaborate on projects more efficiently.

 

5 Effective Onboarding Strategies to Build Strong Relationships with New Hires

To further enhance the onboarding experience and build strong relationships with new hires, consider implementing these additional strategies that can ensure smooth integration and promote long-term success within your organization.

 

1. Welcome them with a pre-boarding process.

Before you onboard, start engaging your new hires with a pre-boarding process.⁴ The goal is to help them familiarize your processes and learn more about the company. You can either meet them online or provide a pre-boarding kit that includes:

  • A welcome message.
  • A detailed explanation of what their daily tasks look like.
  • All the resources that they’ll need to accomplish their responsibilities.
  • Key company contacts.
  • First-day agenda and activities.

This will minimize your new members feeling overwhelmed and allow them to integrate smoothly into your company processes. Besides this, you can prepare their workstations and resources to make their first days easier. Inform them of the upcoming company events or workshops.

Read more: Putting People First: Why Prioritizing the Employee Experience Is Key to Long-term Business Success

 

2. Structure your onboarding process.

The first few months of your new hires will be crucial to their success. Do they need initial training? Can you appoint someone from your existing workforce to guide them if they need to clarify processes or ask questions? Help them familiarize the office, departments, key tools and resources, break areas, meeting rooms, and important company contacts.

The goal is to make their initial time with you worthwhile. Create a timeline and set milestones so they can clearly track what they need to achieve. Often, new hires are met with idle time or multiple tasks in the first weeks. Instead of bombarding them with tasks, set the pace to make it easier for them to settle in.

Read more: Emerging Talent Trends in Manufacturing: What Recruiters Need to Know to Stay Ahead

 

3. Connect them with the team.

One of the worst things new hires could experience is to work in a silo. This could cause them to disconnect from the team or worse, start looking for new employment.

Make them feel comfortable and help them connect with your existing members. Show them the departments and introduce them to the current staff. Aside from this, take the time to announce them to the whole organization. You can do this by blocking an hour of your employees’ time to announce the new hires either in-person or virtually.

Another way you can help them connect is by assigning them a mentor or “buddy.” This will help the new hires if they have any concerns or want to know who they should speak with for certain activities. On the other hand, a mentor can impart company knowledge and share insights, making their initial days productive.

 

4. Let them engage with your culture.

Beyond connecting new hires with colleagues and familiarizing them with their tasks, immersing them in your company’s culture is essential for long-term retention. Share your organizational values, mission, and vision early in the process. This will help new employees understand how they can contribute more than just with their roles.

You can invite them to regular company activities or during informal gatherings like coffee breaks and lunches. It’s important to establish a safe and inclusive workplace. Without an attractive work culture, engaging your new hires in the company ethos might be difficult.

 

5. Don’t forget to check in on them.

Your new hires will have many questions, and some may be overlooked even with a strong onboarding process. Make sure to visit them and ask what they need. Understandably, most managers and company leaders will not have the time to check new hires. However, this step is crucial if you want to build relationships with your new hires.

  • Do they feel integrated into the team?
  • Are they comfortable with the company’s practices and culture?
  • What are their challenges, and how can you help them succeed in their roles?
  • Do they need additional resources to effectively perform their tasks?
  • Is there anything that can be adjusted in the onboarding process?

Not only does this ensure your new hires have everything they need, but it will also foster a safe and inclusive environment where they can share their ideas and opinions.

 

Onboard exceptional talent from the best.

Horizon America Staffing understands that building relationships is not easy. Even with open communication, regular feedback, clear goals, and collaboration, your new hires may still need a little push.

This is why we focus on delivering talented individuals that fit within your organization, allowing you to focus on your business’s core functions. Whether you need temporary or temp-to-hire workers, our wide talent selection is ready to fulfill your staffing needs. Contact us today and we’ll help you find the right talent.

 

References

  1. “The Effect of Poor Onboarding on New Hires.” Paychex, 16 Jan. 2023, https://www.paychex.com/articles/human-resources/the-onboarding-crisis
  2. “Staff Engagement report.” Hays, https://www.hays.com.au/employer-insights/employer-tools/staff-engagement-report. 3 Oct. 2024.
  3. “The Impact of Effective Onboarding on Employee Retention.” LinkedIn, 24 Jan. 2024, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/impact-effective-onboarding-employee-retention-qkc6f/
  4. Dennison, Kara. “How Managers Can Contribute To Successful Onboarding And Build Strong Relationships With New Hires.” Forbes, 26 Jul. 2023, https://www.forbes.com/sites/karadennison/2023/07/26/how-managers-can-contribute-to-successful-onboarding-and-build-strong-relationships-with-new-hires/