How to Make Sure a New Hire Feels Included from Day One

To retain new hires, you need to make sure they feel included. For one, give them individual attention. If weekly check-ins aren’t doable, find ways to give your new hires facetime — even just walking to and from meetings together can build rapport. The addition of a new team member, by definition, means a refresh of the team. So it may be a good time to co-create a plan for expected behaviors or team norms. One example of a team norm that helps build camaraderie between new and veteran team members is striving for equal participation in meetings. Don’t allow a conversation to move on until a new member is fully heard. Ask for details and highlight possible actions the team could take to benefit from the new wisdom in the room.