A manager's guide to communicating with new hires

The employee experience includes every interaction an employee has while at a company: from the moment “You’re hired!”—all the way to retirement. A positive employee experience is key to attracting and retaining top talent, as well as boosting productivity, morale and company performance. As a manager, your communication plays a key role in contributing to a successful employee experience. Follow these communication tips during an employee’s first year to create memorable moments that matter:

Help set goals and expectations

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Celebrate wins, big and small

Help set goals and expectations Set your new employee up for success! Create a goal-setting tip sheet for your development discussion: Include your company’s mission/vision and have a conversation about how to support itShare sample goals for the roleDiscuss how goals will be measured and possible outcomes and/or rewards, if achieved

Celebrate wins, big and small Employees who receive appreciation for their work are generally more productive and stay at their jobs longer. As the year goes on, be sure to recognize your new employee’s hard work and achievements—big and small. Here are a few little gestures that make a big impact: Drop or mail a handwritten “thank you” noteSend a gift card to his/her favorite coffee shopPost a shout-out on your company’s social feed, such as Yammer (if applicable)Give praise by telling leaders about his/her success, so they reinforce the job well doneAward feel-good, silly recognition moments, such as “Best first week ever!”

Start onboarding early

Design a first day to remember

Provide effective feedback Part of being a manager is being a coach or mentor to employees. Give effective feedback to help your employee grow. Here’s how to prepare: Note specific examples and anticipate your employee’s point of viewMake it timely, set up a meeting as soon as you have feedback to provideBe candid, honest and straight to the pointKeep it professional, not personal; make sure feedback ties to company objectives and valuesConduct an informal 360° survey: ask three colleagues to share an area where your employee is excelling or where there is potential for growth

Make the most of check-ins

Start onboarding early Begin the onboarding process before your employee’s first day. To ensure a smooth adjustment: Send a welcome email copying the entire team. Encourage everyone to chime in to say “Hello” and “Welcome to the team!”Share a schedule of the first day, names of colleagues and high-level information about ongoing projectsProvide an onboarding toolkit with a list of key contacts and your company’s employee handbookBe sure your new hire is set with the equipment needed to do the job—whether he/she works on-site or remotely

A manager’s guide to communicating with new hires

Provide effective feedback

How to elevate the employee experience

Design a first day to remember It’s his or her first day, make it count! Here are a couple of ways to give a warm welcome to your new employee: Surprise and delight: drop or send home a basket of goodies with tasty snacks and fun gifts; for example, crazy socks with a card that says, “We’re sure you’ll knock our socks off!”Send a picture of the team and some company swag, such as a mug, t-shirt or notebookPost a warm welcome message on LinkedInHost a “get to know the team” icebreaker where everyone shares a fun fact colleagues may not know, such as first job, a hidden talent or favorite Disney character

Make the most of check-ins Establish a routine check-in cadence to measure progress. For example, start with weekly check-ins for the first six weeks. Your check-ins don’t have to be formal—you could have a conversation over a cup of coffee! Mix it up and have different hosts for check-ins: your boss’ boss or one of your colleagues. Here’s what to cover: What’s going wellStrengths and obstaclesWhat you can do to help

For more information about employee communication, visit us at www.davisandco.com/services

Design a first day to remember It’s his or her first day, make it count! Here are a couple ways to give a warm welcome to your new employee: Surprise and delight: drop or send home a basket of goodies with tasty snacks and fun gifts; for example, crazy socks with a card that says, “We’re sure you’ll knock our socks off!”Send a picture of the team and some company swag, such as a mug, t-shirt or notebookPost a warm welcome message on LinkedInHost a “get to know the team” icebreaker where everyone shares a fun fact colleagues may not know, such as first job, a hidden talent or favorite Disney character

Provide effective feedback Part of being a manager is being a coach or mentor to employees. Give effective feedback to help your employee grow. Here’s how to prepare: Note specific examples and anticipate your employee’s point of viewMake it timely, set up a meeting as soon as you have feedback to provideBe candid, honest and straight to the pointKeep it professional, not personal, make sure feedback ties to company objectives and valuesConduct an informal 360° survey: ask three colleagues to share an area where your employee is excelling or where there is potential for growth