11 Best Practices to Boost New Employee Engagement

The overall organizational success of any company relies on its employees. But one mistake most HR managers make is overlooking the importance of keeping their new hires engaged. 

Unfortunately, this can result in staff turnover and loss of productivity and profit. 

These consequences leave many companies wondering how to bring in new employee engagement. That includes its primary drivers and the best practices to enhance job satisfaction.

Does it sound familiar?

This article will discuss the importance of new employee engagement and the best practices to engage them from day one. We want to help you find inspiration and get proactive with new hire engagement.

❗️ Why is new employee engagement important? 

Employees who have been in your company for years sometimes struggle to stay engaged. And the worst part is that 85% of employees can experience this struggle.

However, this reality isn't far from what new hires encounter: they are also prone to lose interest and excitement over their jobs.

➡️ Does this surprise you? Check out 45 additional employee engagement statistics we think you should not overlook in 2022. 

Remember that most of your new hires will test the waters of your company during the first few days, weeks, and even months. They will try to get a feel of the corporate culture and their connection with other employees.

So if you haven't established a definite new employee engagement plan, you could risk your profit and experience a drop in employee engagement.

And should we even mention the urgency of addressing new hire turnover?

If you're not enabling your employees from day 1, you risk losing them to competitors that take the proper steps to nurture employees from the get-go. 

However, we are confident that our best practices for new employee engagement will enhance your overall employee experience and deliver superior services. 

And as a bonus, your engaged new hires will likely surpass your expectations. 

📈 What are the key drivers of new hire engagement?

Focusing on new employee experience is as crucial as retaining your current workforce. 

And although there are several overlaps between the two, engaging your new hires begins during their orientation and onboarding process.

Below are the key drivers of a positive new employee experience. Understanding the purpose of each one can help you prevent the decline in employee engagement in your company.

Role clarity

New hires become more engaged when they know where they stand within the company. 

Your onboarding process must focus on role clarity.

Make sure your employees understand their tasks and responsibilities. It will help you maintain their interest and excitement. 

Trust in the workplace

When new employees feel trusted during onboarding, they'll more likely become more confident with their skills and expertise. They also become effective communicators and decision-makers who strive for the company's overall organizational success.

The direction in the workplace

New employee morale will thrive if your new hires don't think they're being a burden to their co-workers. Having planned tasks will allow them to grow and maximize their capabilities.

Work-life balance

Companies should focus on their new employees' overall well-being. Apart from meeting work deliverables, they must also have the time to prioritize their personal lives. Otherwise, you're bringing them closer to burnout and fatigue.

Inclusive culture and connection with other employees

Being a team is crucial in every company. But if your new hires can't connect and communicate well with their co-workers, it could lead to future rifts and misunderstandings.

Tip: Don't overlook the importance of engagement surveys and new hire engagement action plans.

👷 Whose job is new employee engagement?

Everyone in the workplace has a role in maintaining new employee retention and engagement. Each person can influence the workplace culture and core values.

For instance, managers and supervisors can make new hires feel appreciated and recognized. Co-workers can also make them feel welcome.

But the ways of employee engagement fall heavily into the hands of the Human Resources Department. 

You will execute the best practices to engage new employees right from the beginning of their onboarding.

🥇 11 ways to engage new employees starting from day one 

There are many initiatives to improve new employee engagement in any company. 

Following these tips will help you maintain the happiness of your new hires. You can also encourage them to stay longer and produce high-quality results.

Here are some examples of employee engagement methods to help you foster a positive employee experience.

✈️ Focus on your hiring process and onboarding journey

Personalizing and automating your hiring process and onboarding activities will leave a lasting impression on your new hires. 

They'll likely feel they belong to the workplace when you invite them over for a preboarding hangout or send them a welcome video and message with some personal touches.

Tip #1: Invest in a preboarding software solution to ensure new hires receive all the information before day one—no need to leave them in the dark brooding with anxiety.

Tip #2: Build trust, clarity and social connections with your new hire onboarding journeys.

🤩 Give them a memorable first day 

Having team introductions is one possible way to add engagement to new hire orientation. You can also add fun employee engagement activities like team games and icebreakers.

Tip #1: Ensure you (or the IT department) set the workplace up properly before day one at work. Nobody wants to wait around without a desk or computer. 

Tip #2: For extra impact, set up their workstation with cool office supplies and company merch. 

Tip #3: Do you have company swag? This it's the time to share it. 

➡️ Need more ideas? We got you. Check out ten new hire orientation ideas to welcome your employees.

🙅 Kill the paperwork and focus on onboarding experiences

Before onboarding new hires, ensure you have a comprehensive strategy in place. Every person and team involved must know their tasks and responsibilities during the session.

On top of this, answering the questions of your new employees will help you establish role clarity. It will allow them to understand their role in the company and result in a positive employee experience.

Tip: Incorporating automated onboarding workflows enables more rewarding onboarding experiences. It can save you time and errors and allow you to develop a people-first approach.

🫂 Have a sense of community in the workplace

Creating a welcoming environment in the workplace boosts employee engagement by making your new hires happier and more motivated. 

Tip: Assign new hires to an onboarding buddy and invite them over for lunch, yoga classes, or coffee or lunch roulettes.

➡️ Check out our ready-to-use buddy program template.

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Besides this, using Zavvy can also help you introduce new employees to the team. Automate event planning to ensure everyone has a chance to say hello and share their insights.

🏢 Introduce the company culture

One of the best employee engagement tips is introducing the company culture — your company vision, company mission, company policies, and objectives — to your new hires. And the most effective and engaging way to do that is by having your CEO talk about it in a welcome session or meeting.

Tip #1: For large organizations, have your CEO and/or President host a monthly welcome session for all employees. 

Tip #2: For smaller organizations, automatically book a brief individual CEO intro meeting to talk about the company vision and business objectives.

Tip #3: Each employee is a piece of a larger puzzle. You can go the extra mile by showing how each employee contributes to your organizational vision and success. This way, new hires will feel that their efforts won't go unappreciated

➡️ For a boost of inspiration, check out 11 examples of the best employee onboarding experiences out there. 

📝 Conduct an employee survey to get honest feedback

An effective way to know whether your employee engagement ideas are effective is by sending out an employee pulse survey every month. 

Tip: Measure the Employee Net Promoter Score to overview your new hire engagement quickly.

You can also incorporate anonymous employee feedback after every onboarding with the help of Zavvy. You'll get all possible types of feedback, from self-reviews to peer reviews.

🔄 Always address concerns and take feedback seriously

When you ask for feedback, ensure you follow up on employee concerns and challenges. 

If one of your employees raises a concern, address it immediately. Don't wait until it is too late. 

Tip: Don't conclude your onboarding process without an onboarding survey. We have put together best practices for getting the best insights, 39 questions, and a template survey. 

💪 Foster a culture of learning supported by constructive feedback 

You cannot expect your employee to know it all from the start. Invest in their training to mediate between knowledge rifts. 

Tip #1: You can also use a job training tool to help them hone their skills and get used to the company's values and processes.

Tip #2: Job shadowing and role-based learning are some of the most effective training methods for new hires.

Tip #3: As your new hires are getting more comfortable in their roles, and learning new skills or concepts, use feedback as extra support. 

Tip #4: But don't give feedback just for the sake of it, and don't stop at simply stating some facts. Make feedback constructive to support learning and betterment.

Tip #5: Use 360 feedback solutions that incorporate self-reviews, peer reviews, downward and upward feedback. All of these help new hires understand where they stand and how they can become even better: perfect insights for career growth.

🌱 Discuss competence development and career progression

One big motivation for new employees is their career progression in the company. They want opportunities that enable career growth.

A strategic onboarding process will not only focus on getting the employee productive but also on showing the employee the possibilities for developing within the organization. 

Creating development plans will allow your new hires to set their own goals and focus areas. ‍

Tip: Develop their competencies and knowledge from the very beginning. It will make them engaged and productive: win-win.

On Zavvy's growth cycles, employees define focus areas and create specific action items using their managers' feedback rather than having a top-down approach.

👫 Offer continuous support and guidance

Make sure to have regular one-to-one meetings with your new hires. 

Doing this will let you know their concerns and will also allow you to provide the necessary support they might need. 

Tip: You can also use one-on-ones to provide instant feedback and enhance employee relations.

🙌 Celebrate achievements

One of the most practiced new hire engagement ideas is recognizing their achievements and what they've done for the company. 

Tip #1: Focus on firsts: Celebrate their first milestones and show them that they're appreciated. The first solo project? The first customer deal? Don't let them go unnoticed.

Tip #2: Celebrate the end of the onboarding journey. Recognize what the employee has learned and how far they have gone from the first day in your organization. 

➡️ In need of employee recognition ideas? We have 42 suggestions for you. 

❓ 7 engagement survey questions to ask a new hire during onboarding 

Sending out a new hire engagement survey is important to keep your activities aligned with what employees want. 

Asking simple questions can create massive impacts and help you get honest feedback from them.

Here are some questions you may want to consider in your survey during onboarding:

• What makes you excited to go to work?
• How do you feel about the company mission, company vision, company policies, and goals?
• Do you feel appreciated for your work? Do you have an employee appreciation idea that the company can implement?
• Does the current workplace environment support your well-being?
• What is your career path? How can we help you achieve this?
• What are some company practices that need improvement?
• Is there anything you want to say?

Tip #1: Use their answers to create a more meaningful and happier work environment.

Tip #2: Also, remember not to use their responses against them. Instead, you can ask for anonymous employee feedback to lessen their fears of retaliation.

➡️ Engage and enable your new employees from day one with Zavvy

New hires are as important as your current employees. They're the heart of any company. That's why ensuring new hire engagement should be your priority.

Focusing your onboarding efforts exclusively on productivity will be a missed opportunity. And, full disclosure, you might not get a second chance to engage and retain your new hires.

Offer rewarding onboarding experiences, but don't stop there. Show that you are committed to their well-being and their career progression. 

Allow us to help you engage your employees from day one and even before. 

📈 Learn how much time and money you can save by using Zavvy's employee onboarding software. Request a free demo today!

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