Whether you are a leader, line manager or mentor, you can play a part in making someone’s entry into your firm a first‑class experience. Here’s how:

Begin onboarding before the start date

One of the most positive steps that any employer can take to pave the way for a smooth start is to keep in touch with a fresh recruit in between their acceptance of the role and their first day. According to Be the Business – which advises employers on how to boost productivity – that period is the time to check in with a starter-in-waiting, signal your openness to answer any questions and provide e-introductions to new colleagues.

Roll out the red carpet

On day one, greet a new team member in writing with a warm, positive welcome message. In the assessment of leading jobs site Indeed, this should strike a cheerful tone, set out an agenda for the day ahead – including timings for meetings or remote calls with supervisors – and provide concise information on how to access company resources. The message should also demonstrate that the employer is sharing in the new starter’s excitement.

Start with the ‘we’

Every workplace is a community and there are several ways employers can harness that social value in the cause of a fruitful first week. The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) urges leaders to start with culture. With reference to Daniel Pink’s book Drive, CMI highlights the importance of explaining to new starters the organisation’s purpose – and the impact each employee can have on the effort to meet collective goals. It also recommends pairing new starters with buddies and mentors, setting them up as soon as possible on workplace messaging apps such as Slack and plugging them into employee networks relevant to who they are.

Lay out the roadmap

Now the new starter is in place, it is time to be crystal clear about what they are there to do. In a recent article for Harvard Business Review, Gleb Tsipursky, CEO of future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts, urges leaders to put all their cards on the table in the form of a detailed job description, performance metrics aligned to that description and a progressive training track for the first three months that will help the recruit build any new skills required to hit their targets.

Be an effective sounding board

On day one, don’t park a new team member at their desk and leave them to it. Take an engaged interest in how they are getting on with their initial work tasks and err on the side of speed when it comes to providing feedback. According to specialist legal recruiter Realm Recruit, this will help you to quickly nip any glitches in the bud at a time when the starter has the greatest scope for making adjustments and will help you to set early expectations around how you will manage them going forward.