​When welcoming employees into any workplace it’s important to do the usual tasks, such as
employee introductions, office tours, amongst other elements. But what many companies
ignore is ensuring that new staff feels completely immersed and part of the team as soon as
possible. This will ensure the new hire feels motivated from the get go and improve the overall
organisational culture of the company.

Onboarding shouldn’t be a rigid process, here are some tips on how to welcome newbies and
make sure they are in it for the long haul:

1) Get to know the new recruit as a person

As a quick “get to know you task”, have a new employee complete a personality test to give you
an insight into whether they are kinesthetic, auditory or visual. A kinesthetic person will
appreciate a firm handshake and eye contact; visual people will like a note, whereas an auditory
individual prefers a verbal compliment.

It’s a good idea to make current employees aware of the new arrival by sending an e-mail or
mentioning it in a meeting. This ensures they are attentive and will take the time to ask ‘how is
your first week going?’ or ‘do you have any questions?’ Not only will implementing this welcome
plan help settle the new employee, it will also remind all members of staff the importance of
first impressions and to make everyone feel valued.

According to a recent survey completed by Google, a massive 88% of employees who are given
extra roles in terms of collaboration and training are more satisfied with their job. Giving the
new employee a mentor will help them understand the company routine faster and they will
feel comfortable to ask any questions about the workplace and workload. Although the mentor
will play the key role, you should remind other employees to jump in when needed.

After the second week, arrange to have a one-to- one coffee or lunch with the new recruit as this
will help them to be forthcoming in asking any unanswered questions and allows you to check
how they are finding their new working experience.

2) Take time to introduce the new employee to staff

One of the main worries for new employees is how well they will fit in with colleagues, therefore
instead of handing them a list of names; it’s a better idea to offer a list of co-workers alongside
their photos and a quick get-to- know fact for each employee. This will take the pressure off the
new employee as it enables them to put a face to a name.

Organising a lunch or after work drinks on the Friday after their first week will make them feel
comfortable and part of the team. It gives them more opportunity to get to know other workers,
more so than a meeting or quick chat in the staff room would.

Along with getting to know the staff better, sending them a handbook on the culture of the
company and the policies before their start date will give them a better understanding, while
also being able to arrive on the first day with questions.

3) Leave a small gift on their desk

In the unfamiliar surroundings of a new office on the first working day, leaving a gesture on the
recruits’ desk will make them feel valued. It’s a good idea to leave a gift related to the company
culture, for example a personalized company mug, pencils or something similar. Some
companies give an ‘essentials box’ with stationery, gadgets and coffee. Even though this may
seem like a small act, it is actually a brilliant strategy in making the arrival excited to start their
new job, increasing motivation right from the beginning.

Leaving a map of the area that the office is in alongside the gift is an effective and quirky way to
settle them in. The following example from Helpscout (a Boston based helpdesk software
company) shows a curated neighborhood guide with the employees’ favourite places to dine
and drink in.

The onboarding process can be time-consuming but is well worth your while; it will have a big
impact on the new hire’s experience as well as cementing a positive workplace dynamic.
Welcoming new workers is an ever-changing process and as you expand your workforce the
dynamics will have to change.

So, each time you go through the hiring process, take the time to
review your onboarding procedure. Send out a survey for current employees to give their
opinions on their first day at your company and use the statistics to improve the next recruits
welcome.

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No matter what industry you’re in, one thing is certain – you will at some point hire employees for
your business. It is (hopefully) an exciting time for a company as new personalities and talent comes
on board, as well as for the new employees who bring fresh passion for their role. However, what
about those candidates who didn’t get the job? They applied for a position hoping it was a new start
for them in an area they wanted to excel in but there was ‘no such luck’ this time.

Surveys show that the main thing people despise when going through the job process is not hearing
back from an interview. It’s not nice for someone to hear they didn’t get the job, and it isn’t ideal for
the recruiter to have to deliver the bad news, however if nothing else, it’s important from an
employer branding point of view to inform unsuccessful candidates as soon as possible after your
decision has been made. It is also important to ensure the letter isn’t cold and impersonal with little
feedback.

When is the right time?

It might seem a bit harsh, but giving a candidate feedback as soon as you know they aren’t right for
the job is the best thing. It lets the interviewee move on quickly or perhaps accept another role they
may have been offered.

Quite often, the interviewer knows before the end of the interview if the candidate is suitable for
the position or not and most people have an idea if it hasn’t gone well, so sometimes it’s better to
say there and then what your concerns are. Giving feedback at the end of the interview not only
saves time following up at a later date, it also gives the candidate a chance to counter your opinion.
They may be nervous or inexperienced but if they want the job, they will fight for their place.

If you don’t feel comfortable telling the candidate that you don’t think they are right for the role,
make sure to follow up with them at latest a few days after the interview. It’s not necessary to wait
until you’ve filled the role to inform someone that they haven’t got the job.

What should be included?

A rejection letter should include some kind of constructive and personalised feedback. How you
relay the information very much depends on the method your company takes throughout the entire
employment process – professional and to the point or friendlier and more approachable.

No matter which approach is taken, constructive criticism should also start with the positives,
including some compliments about the candidate before commenting on the areas they didn’t do so
well. At the end of the letter, focus again on any strong points to soften the blow and prevent any
negative impressions of the company.

Where possible, always include areas of the interview where they could have performed better.
These most likely won’t come as a surprise to the candidate, yet it is useful information for them to
take away and focus on for future interviews.

If the company might be interested in hiring the candidate for future opportunities, inform them
that you will keep their details on file and are interested in keeping in touch with them.

How do you humanize a rejection letter?

Simple changes to a rejection letter make all the difference to the unsuccessful candidate. I have
included a few small changes below which might just make the rejection that much easier:

Thank the Candidate Amicably

“Thank you for applying to POSITION with The HR Department” can be worded slightly differently.
Try “I want to thank you for taking the time to meet with us last week regarding the POSITION at The
HR Department”

Leave the Door Open

“We’ll keep your details on file for future available positions” could be worded as a question, such as
“I hope you don't mind if I keep your details on file and reach out to you in the future should more
positions arise?”

Provide an Explanation

“Your expertise is not a good fit at this time” may be straight to the point but it makes the candidate
feel undervalued. More detail makes it easier for the candidate to understand, for example, “We are
currently concentrating on hiring HR professionals who specialise in mediation.”

Finally, I want to go back to a point I touched on earlier and in a previous article – candidates are
also customers. A survey carried out by The Talent Board discovered that 8% of applicants had
negative feelings about their experience, and in turn it affected their relationship as a client of that
company. Take the following example:

If a company employs 500 people per year and receives 100 CVs per job posting, that amounts to
49,500 rejected applicants. The 8% left with a negative outlook on the company could mean the
business potentially loses nearly 5000 current or potential customers.
​
Don’t let that happen to your company – write the rejection letter.


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With the HR Department having a dedicated mediation specialist, Roisin O’Neill, we were highly anticipating the new Mediation Act which has just been passed by Irish Government. The introduction of the bill will make a huge difference to both employers and employees whenever disputes may arise in the workplace.
The recent Act highlights the obligation for mediation in the Irish High and Commercial Courts, ensuring that complainants have considered mediation as a method of dispute resolution before they issue a complaint through the courts. The passing of the Act is a strong recognition that mediation has the potential to accomplish more positive outcomes for those involved whilst also lessening the strain on the Courts.
 
What is Mediation?
Mediation is a voluntary method of dispute resolution through the use of negotiation and agreement between the parties involved. A neutral facilitator (the mediator) assists in the parties reaching and agreeing on a settlement. The mediator will recommend solutions which are accepted or rejected. If a mutual outcome is agreed, the settlement is recorded and signed, and is from then on legally binding for both parties. If the process does not result in an agreement, Court is the next step.
The mediation process is confidential to ensure parties involved do not have their disputes exposed to the public. Anything said and/or documents produced at mediation cannot be referred to in litigation if the case goes to Court.
The objective of mediation is to cut costs and time when resolving a dispute. Often, if the case still has to go to Court, the mediation process will still have resolved many issues that may have arisen, therefore making any litigation less expensive and time consuming than it may have been without mediation.
 
Why the new Mediation Act is Positive

• There is an obligation on solicitors and barristers to provide information on the advantages of mediation and advise their clients to consider mediation to resolve their dispute.
• Solicitors and barristers are to swear a statutory declaration confirming they have informed their clients of the mediation process and its benefits.
• Where court proceedings commence, parties are to confirm they have been advised and considered resolving their dispute through mediation.
• The Act contains codes of practice to ensure the correct mediation procedures are in place and carried out by qualified mediators.
• The role of the mediator is defined clearly, stating that they are present to assist parties to find a potentially successful method to resolve the dispute in question.
• All statements made by parties, both written and oral, are statutorily protected and are not to be disclosed within Court proceedings. This may not apply if disclosure is required to implement a settlement.
• Court proceedings will be suspended to assist a mediation process.
• An agreement will be signed by the mediator and the parties which will state the requirements of the mediation process, such as location and costs of the mediation, how it is conducted and the right to seek legal advice of requested.

 
Roisin O’Neill
Roisin is a professional mediator who has extensive experience working with a wide range of public, private and voluntary organisations across multiple business sectors, including health, education, public safety utility and government departments.
Specialising only in mediation and early conflict resolution, she has achieved an outstanding record of negotiated resolutions working on multi-issue and multi-party cases over a ten year period with consistently positive feedback from both clients and referral departments.
Her record of experience demonstrates a successful partnering with a range of human resource teams, legal advisers, interpreters and trade union representatives, mutually working together in a collaborative effort to secure a private and dignified resolution for a variety of employee disputes and issues.
With a unique background in Law, business and entrepreneurship, she is passionate about empowering leadership in the face of conflict and equipping management, human resources and project teams with the resources and skillset to prevent, manage and resolve destructive conflict that often drains the business of time, money and resources.

If would like to speak to Roisin in regard to Mediation, please get in touch on The HR Department.