8 ways to motivate new employees

Has your organisation recently expanded their business, invested in bringing in some new expertise, or just have some fresh new recruits joining the team? If so, you might be in search of an employee onboarding checklist to guide you on how to support your employees through the first months in their new roles.

From directors to interns, hiring the right person can be a lengthy and challenging process, but it doesn’t stop at identifying the right fit for the role and company culture. The final part of the process – the onboarding – is often overlooked but it is vital for new starters. To settle into a new job, it typically takes around eight months before a newly hired employee reaches full productivity. Despite this, 35% of companies still have no official onboarding system. According to Dr Talya Bauer’s revised 5 C’s framework, employee onboarding builds towards compliance, clarification, confidence, connection, and culture. So, what does that mean for
you? Here, we look at a few practical steps to help new hires feel welcome, valued, and prepared to do their work to the best of their ability.

1. Give them purpose

Explaining to an employee how their work benefits your organisation could give them a better understanding of their role in the company, while showing them the direct effect of their work. In other words, it gives them a reason to do their best.

2. Challenge them

Giving them a challenge could motivate new starters to show their best selves, reassuring them of your trust and belief in their potential. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that they might not be familiar with the processes of your organisation just yet, meaning that it would be good to ensure they aren’t overwhelmed.
To do this, why not walk them through every step of your organisation’s process beforehand? You could create an easily accessible guide that is easy to update and can be referred to as often as needed.

3. Track their progress

Setting clear goals and milestones can help new employees and their managers to align their expectations. So, to help them stay on track and feel supported in their role, try checking in with them frequently to see how they’re doing, and use these sessions as an opportunity to provide constructive feedback on their performance.

4. Take time to figure them out

Everyone is unique, meaning that each member of your team will have different personalities, traits, and communication styles. So, directly communicating with each new starter and observing their interactions with others could be incredibly useful when it comes to understanding these different traits they might
have. Here, empathy is key, and this could help to empathise with them just that little bit more, helping you to identify the best way to connect with them and make them feel understood, all while helping you to offer them the right advice and support them when working as part of a team.

5. Allocate an insider

More often than not, managers will have a more authoritative role in supporting new hires,
particularly in the beginning of the onboarding process. When it comes to new staff, they often need an ally — someone to show them the ropes, feel comfortable with, and have direct access to. Having one point of contact with them will also reduce the stress and awkwardness that might come with their first few days. Here, you can
ensure that there isn’t any important information slipping through the cracks.

6. Introduce them to the workplace culture

Another thing is to ensure that your new employees feel like they are part of the team fromday one. Invite them to team meetings, introduce them to colleagues, and provide opportunities for them to collaborate with others – these are just a few of many approaches that could help make them feel more connected to your organisation and its values.

7. Support their goals

Understanding someone’s professional goals will help you support them in the right direction, allowing you to offer them the right opportunities and think ahead about how their role can be developed. As conversations like this might not necessarily be connected directly to the responsibilities of their current role, it’s still always a good idea to chat about it in a more casual environment, to show them how important they are to you – and that you’re always there to support and
help them be the best they can be.

8. Reward their efforts

Pay attention to the ways in which your new starters try to be part of the team and how they like to put their skills to work. When they do, make sure to show your appreciation. With staff rewards and recognition being vital for them to feel recognised, valued, and satisfied in their role, this could help them remain engaged and committed to their tasks, all while increasing their productivity – resulting in better outcomes for them, as well as for your organisation, too.

If you don’t already have a reward system in place, an Asda corporate gift card or e-gift card could be a great way to say “thank you” and show them their efforts don’t go unnoticed. With corporate gifts just like this, you can encourage them to keep up the good work by letting them treat themselves among hundreds of products from Asda and George, in-store and online.