Engaged employees are often the most productive members of a workforce. When new hires are integrated into a work space, it is important that leaders take the time to communicate with them in an effective way. Doing so will promote employee engagement and productivity, and it will also strengthen relationships between employees and management. Here are a few tips to consider when connecting with new hires.

Reach Out Before Their First Day

It may be easy to think that you can hold off on initiating contact until the new hires enter the office, but waiting that long actually detracts from early opportunities to connect. A member of leadership should consider including new hires on team emails as soon as the employee accepts the job offer; in doing this, new hires will feel actively involved in the company even before they start working. Additionally, leaders can send relevant materials pertaining to the company itself, the work the employees will be doing, or even general industry news. Involving new hires early on will help them feel like they are knowledgeable, informed, and welcomed before they physically join the team.

Set Clear Expectations for Communication

Remember that communication goes both ways, and if you want your employees to feel comfortable speaking with you, it is important that you address the importance of honest, open feedback. Express that you want employees to relay positive feedback as well as constructive criticism, and if they experience any issues with their workload, technical aspects of the job, or superiors, they are to come to you. Additionally, you should express how you want the employee to reach out; whether they should email you or simply knock on your door should be established in clear terms so that the employee does not need to worry about the method in addition to the content of the impending conversation.

Assign Mentors

A mentorship program is a great thing for your company to have. By assigning each new hire a mentor, you can ensure that your new employees have someone to field questions, provide support, and address minor concerns. Granting your employees a mentor as soon as they start working will be helpful in providing a resource to new hires and making them comfortable in the workplace early on in their employment.

Schedule Regular Meetings

Meeting with new employees shortly after they begin working is great for setting boundaries and getting to know one another, but one meeting is not sufficient. Leaders should aim to set regular meetings on a monthly or quarterly basis to check in with employees. These meetings provide an opportunity for feedback, praise, and open discussion that might not be available at other times, and these check-ins are especially helpful for employees who are more inclined to keep their thoughts to themselves.

Employee Metrics

In order to add value during the regularly scheduled meetings it is important that a visual aid in describing progress and ways to improve. A KPI (Key Performance Indicators) is a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively an employee is achieving key business objectives. This is helpful in evaluating an employee’s success at reaching their target(s). KPIs should be evaluated over a specified time period and compared against past performance metrics and/or goals.