Onboarding.
A term both the employer and new employee really don’t exactly look forward to. It can be scary, time consuming, and full of unknowns. It includes paperwork, sweaty handshakes, cheek pain from all of the smiles (speaking from actual experience), and overall a crazy time.
… That is, unless, you do it right. And here at Baudville, I’ve learned that we thoroughly believe in doing onboarding the right way. Why? I’m glad you asked.We’ve written publications on it, created products specifically for it, and spent hours upon hours figuring out the best way to bring new hires on board.
If you’ve kept up with the Baudville blog, I’m sure you’ve read a post or two of mine in the last few months. I am a fresh Baudvillian, a mere newbie with only five months under my belt as the Digital Marketing Coordinator. I was so ecstatic when I landed the job, but ultimately my feelings all led me to nerves. This was my first position out of college, a recent graduate from Ferris State University (Go Bulldogs!), and I knew that my E-Commerce and marketing classes alongside a year long internship wouldn’t exactly be enough to make me walk in the door feeling like ‘I got this’ without a little help.
So, from the first hand experience I’ve recently gained, I present to you 5 tips for onboarding through a new hire’s (my!) eyes:
1. A prepared workstation is an inviting workstation. My desk was set up and ready to go. I had pens, notebooks, a clean work surface, my e-mail and computer log-in. There were no IT issues, and that made me feel like Baudville was just as prepared for me as I was them. This should be a no-brainer, but this is the first job I’ve started where there weren’t log-in issues the first day. Which brings me to the idea that…
2. The little things don’t go unnotticed. In fact, they’re crucial. I was so thrilled to find my desk with a card signed by the marketing team, and soon after I was gifted by my manager with a twist top tumbler, a lanyard for my ID, a journal and pen to help me chicken-scratch notes throughout all of my onboarding, and of course, some treats. This was such a warm welcome that I have never experienced, and it instantly started me on the right foot. This made me feel appreciated right off the bat. I was so happy about it, I even instagrammed it!
3. Meet, greet, smile. repeat. Everyone I encountered on my first day made me feel like I was anticipated and expected to be there. They were excited to get to know more about me, and that made me feel comfortable and welcomed. A co-worker had mentioned she had a family member attend Ferris State, too, and started buidling a connection with me almost immediately. Bringing your new hires around to meet the team is a lot better than the new-hire roaming the halls unable to address someone by name.
4. Faces and places. Speaking of names, my boss was kind enough to print me a ‘face-directory’ of co-workers names and their ID photos all on one sheet for easy access to help my memorization process. This was accompanied by a map of the building. Both of these thoughtful gestures helped me gather my bearings and feel at ease with two less things to worry about.
5. Time to settle down. The first weeks of work are packed full of onboarding classes, meetings, note taking, and mental exhaustion. After the day, I wanted to sit at my desk, organize my notes, and slowly get comfortable in my new workspace without bother. Without this time alone, I think I would have gone bonkers!
Aside from having reoccuring work dreams… (some things are just inevitable!) My onboarding experience was everything I never asked for and helped my transition immensely. It was such a great way to acclimate. It it was not for these things, going from college to corporate wouldn’t have been as great as it has been.
Are you interested in a position at Baudville? See our available career opportunities here.
Kaleigh joined Baudville in 2015 as the Digital Marketing Coordinator. She’s got a love for all things content, knack for all things wordy, and a passion for web marketing. With her eCommerce background, she wants to be sure to make your web experience more than great.
