Between offer acceptance and day 1 – keeping your new hire engaged

 19 Nov 2021

We all know what a competitive recruitment market it is at the moment.

At a time when candidates are typically receiving multiple great offers AND their current employer is offering them incentives to stay, it is critical that you take action to keep your new hire engaged in the no man’s land between offer acceptance and the day they join you.

The good news is that out of all their other options, they’ve chosen YOU. The bad news is that third parties are still trying to turn their heads and make them change their mind at every opportunity. All you need to do now is keep reminding them that they have made the right choice.

So how do you do that?

Offer admin

As soon as you have received verbal acceptance of your vacancy, ensure the employment contract and any other pertinent paperwork is sent out immediately.

Make sure there is a point person who will keep your new hire up to speed with where things are in the process e.g. confirm receipt of signed paperwork, let them know if you’re waiting for references, confirm start date etc. Keep the contact and engagement with them high, so there is no uncertainty for them.

This can be difficult in a larger organisation where more than one department is involved. Between Line, HR, and the onboarding team, it is easy for parts of the process to get delayed or fall through the cracks when each party has assumed someone else has done it.

You don’t want to give your new hire any reason to lose confidence in you, and a big part of that is getting the admin process right.

Going the extra mile

What can you do to stand out to your new employee? This doesn’t have to be about big gestures. It can be as simple as following up on a conversation you’ve had, offering a local restaurant tip or letting them know a good place to buy something they may have mentioned in passing. It’s the extra level of thought that counts.

Is there anything that you have identified during the recruitment process where your new hire might benefit from additional support that you are in a position to give?

This could be anything from practical advice on pertinent issues for them, to active support.

For example, if they are relocating to take up your position, could you assist them in finding new accommodation, whether that be pointing them in the direction of a lettings agent you know, leveraging your network to assist them, or offering some level of financial support?

Stay in touch

Don’t treat the period before joining as a black hole. There are a myriad of ways to do this, but keep visible and inject some fun along the way, if you can.

Some ideas include:

• Invite them to team drinks shortly after they’ve accepted your offer.
• Allocate a buddy to stay in touch regularly, either via call, text or something social. Texts can work well. A simple “how’s it going?” can stem a wobble if their current employer is laying on the pressure.
• Include them on the guest list for any team events, be that the Summer or Christmas party, or any other team night out in the meantime.
• Keep them informed of any updates within the team.
• Share team newsletters or department publications.
• Anything you can think of so that they already feel part of the team before they join.

Most of the above ideas take very little effort and yet can go a long way. If your new hire feels like they matter to you and that you care about making their transition a smooth one, it keeps their confidence in you and their new career move,  and ultimately reassures them that they have made the right decision.

The end result? You’ll have a highly motivated and happy new starter dedicated to adding value from the outset.