But now that you are the hiring manager, what are you doing to ease the nerves of your new hires? What are you doing to start them off on the right foot? Many human resource experts agree that the first few days on the job can have a significant impact on an employee's overall success and motivation. That's why we've taken the time to provide a list of ways to make a first impression that can lead to lasting job satisfaction and performance.

Bear in mind that these suggestions should be considered in addition to an orientation checklist or first-day agenda that your human resources department may provide.

For the purpose of this exercise, we've given your new hire the name "Jill Newman." So, here we are, you've just hired Jill Newman, and it's time to prepare for her arrival.

The day before…

• Call Jill at home and let her know that you are looking forward to her arrival. Make sure she knows what time to arrive, any employee security procedures, and suggested places to park.
  
  
• Alert your department that Jill starts tomorrow — explain what her new role will be within the group, then…
  
  
• Schedule a brown bag lunch in a conference room with everyone in your group for the next day. That way, introductions can be made in a casual manner over sandwiches. This will also ensure that your group is also involved in giving Jill a proper welcome.
  
  
• Make sure your calendar is as clear as possible for the next day in order to keep yourself accessible to Jill.
  
  
• Based on the agreed job responsibilities, prepare a list of your expectations, goals, and typical time frames for completing everyday projects. You might even want to write up a prototypical "day in the life" page. Also, make sure you're able to explain how Jill's job fits into the larger picture.
  
  
• Have all of your Human Resource paper work ready to be filled out.
  
  
• Have one project ready for Jill to complete on her first day. It's important to give your new hire a sense of accomplishment right from the get-go.
  
  
• Assign a mentor to Jill. Brief that mentor on her role with the company and her background. In selecting a mentor, make sure the person you choose is outgoing, approachable, knows many of the people in your organization, and is able to see the "big picture." This may be obvious, but a mentor can be very helpful for someone who doesn't know the written — and unwritten rules of your office (for instance, "make sure you drop a quarter in the coffee fund can for each cup of Joe you take.") This person can also help you to convey — perhaps in a more casual way — your professional expectations.
  
  
• Prepare a "family album" — either on paper or on the web — that shows who the key players are on your team. It can have everyone's names (and nicknames), their photos, job responsibilities, brief bios, some funny quotes, etc.
  
  
• Make sure the desk, office or cubicle where Jill will be working is cleaned and uncluttered. Even if there are projects that already demand her attention, set them aside or hold onto them until you can personally talk to her about each one. Also, if there are any personal remnants of the last person who sat in that work space, it's probably a good idea to remove them.
  
  
• Make sure the work area is stocked with the necessary office supplies. And if you have the time, you might want to make a "welcome basket" out of pens, pencils, markers, note pads, etc. The more creative and thoughtful you get, the more you'll make a lasting impression!
  
  
• Put up a nameplate — even if it's a temporary paper one — with the new hire's name.
  
  
• Order business cards, if applicable.
  
  
• Make sure that Jill's email and telephone number are set up and added to the company directory.
  

The New Hire's First Day

• Be on time. Think about it. If it was your first day, how long would you want to be waiting for your new boss to arrive? If Jill was placed through Ajilon Pinstripe, one of our representatives would probably be waiting right there with her.
  
  
• Greet your new hire with a big smile and a warm attitude. Even if there are projects or work crises going through your mind, fake it as best you can. Just try and think about what a big help it will be to have this person on your team.
  
  
• Take Jill to her work area. Explain what will be accomplished on that first day: filling out necessary human resource forms, introducing them to the team, going over general office procedures, etc. Be aware of when any formal new hire orientation meetings may be occurring during the day, and work your schedule around it.
  
  
• Walk her to the restrooms, the coffee room, the lounge, etc., and give her a quick lesson on how to use the phone so they can check in with loved ones. You might also want to give her a few minutes to get settled.
  
  
• Now it's time to get some serious stuff out of the way. Bring Jill into your office and take her through all the paper work she needs to fill out. Have Jill show you her identification (if needed), and begin to explain what your department or group's goals are, as well as her part in that process. This would be a good time to bring out the lists we referred to in the last section about their responsibilities and expectations. Also, don't be shy about spelling out your company's code of conduct and ethics policies, and make sure that she's clear on them.
  
  
• Go over any phone etiquette suggestions, the company's customer service philosophy, the dress code (casual Fridays, for instance), and how to handle existing and potential vendors, etc.
  
  
• It's probably close to lunch time now, but before you go, bring out that "Family Album" we suggested preparing the day before. It'll help make those faces feel more familiar when it's time to meet.
  
  
• Have that group lunch. Make sure everyone is ready to eat together, even if that's normally not the case. Ask each team member to introduce themselves and give some interesting personal fact that, perhaps, no one else in the room knows (for example, "Hi, I'm Danielle Smith, and I tape "Dr. Phil" everyday and watch it when I get home."). This way, it's a more interesting experience for everyone in the room, not just for Jill.
  
  
• Now that you've had lunch (and hopefully a few laughs), it's time to give Jill some actual work to do. As stated earlier, try and make it a project that can be completed by the end of the day. Take her through the details, making sure she knows how this assignment fits into the grand scheme of things and send her on their way.
  
  
• Have the new mentor stop by Jill's desk at some point before the end of the day to explain how he/she will be helping her get settled and to answer any questions she has along the way.
  
  
• At the end of the day, think about how Jill "performed" during her first day. Did you notice any behavior that should be red-flagged? Make a note of anything that concerned you, and speak to her in the morning about it.
  

The Next Day

• Go over the first project Jill worked on for you the day before — even if it's a work in progress. Answer any questions she may have. Make suggestions you feel might improve either the end product, or the efficiency of their process in getting it done. In addition, share with them any concerns you might have from their first day's events.
  
  
• Learning so many names and faces in one day is a daunting task. Now that you've spent the first day introducing key members of your team, it's now time to take them around the rest of the company and make any other introductions you feel are worthwhile. This can be done by either you or the mentor. Julie Hanf, from Wallenius Wilhelmsen, an international shipping and logistics company, tells us, "I used to take new contributors [employees] around the building and introduce them to every person in the building. But I was told that it was a bit overwhelming to meet so many people and try to remember faces, names and job titles. So, we came up with the buddy system instead and the new person gets to meet everyone over time, instead of all on that first day."
  
  
• And lastly, set up a list of "check-in" appointments at 30, 60 and 90 day intervals, just to set aside some time to see how things are going.
  

We hope you find these tips useful. As you go about bringing a new hire on board, we hope you keep in mind that someone in your new hire's personal life will ask, "How was your first day?"

You have the opportunity to make sure the answer is, "Great. Just great."

Contact your local Ajilon Pinstripe representative for more useful workplace tips and advice. And if you need a highly talented administrative professional, Ajilon Pinstripe is here to help!

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