Should You Announce Your New Employees?

If you're hiring, you already know that you're up against other top employers for a select group of exceptional candidates.

However, even if you're not currently hiring, there's one thing you might not realise: you're still competing—every single day. And there's a lot of competition. From new hires to seasoned veterans, all of your employees want to feel welcomed, engaged, successful, and appreciated. If they don't, a recruiter's email could lead them to greener pastures.

Employers always discuss how "Candidate Experience" influences a person's decision to work for one company over another. But what about the time when the "new hire" is no longer a "candidate" but not quite an "employee"? Your new hire is understandably nervous during the emotionally draining timeline between job acceptance and start date.

Employers often forget to stay in touch while getting the employee ID number set up. Don't go completely silent! With a series of warmly welcoming communications, keep your employer brand on top.

Announcing new hires

The "New Hire Announcement" email, the "Welcome to the Team" email, and the "What to Expect During Your First Week" email are three critical communications pieces that are frequently forgotten.

Keep in mind that they are three separate emails, each sent on a different day. Starting with your new hire announcement, you want to keep the positive messages flowing. It all begins, however, with your announcement.

What is the significance of the announcement?

It may appear to be just another piece of bureaucratic drudgery with no clear purpose. When you don't announce a new hire, you're effectively saying that if you see a new face at your ex-employee's old desk, that's who will be replacing them. Nobody wants to meet a new hire in that manner.

While you may not have gotten everyone's input or gotten a vote on your hiring decision, you still owe them a heads-up on who will be joining them soon and why they should trust your decision. The announcement also demonstrates how you communicate with your team and how you describe their role to their new colleagues to your new hire.

A well-written new hire announcement accomplishes much more. It reassures your new hire that accepting your offer was the right decision for them.

That's a lot to cram into one email, especially if you're already overworked and the thought of writing another thing makes you feel anxious. It does not, however, have to be difficult. Here are the essential elements of a great new hire announcement that will get the new hire's experience off to a good start:

The Subject

What you need:

• Language that is both warm and engaging

• Be friendly instead of formal.

Remember, this is supposed to be a highly personalised note that assists in the formation of strong, positive working relationships. You've already undermined your own message if you start with "To Whom It May Concern" or "To: Electrical Engineering Department." Keep it friendly instead. "Dear Team" isn't always better than a simple, centred headline.

For instance:

Some Exciting News to Share with the Social Media Team!

The opening paragraph

What you need:

• The new hire's name,

• Their new job title,

• Their starting date,

• Positive comment on what you know the hire will bring to the team.

For instance:

After meeting with a number of highly qualified candidates, I am thrilled to announce that Elisha Tan has accepted our offer and will be joining the social media department as a Social Media Manager. Monday, January 24th, will be her first day. I understand how important this position is to our department's success, and how eager you have been to see this position filled. We are very impressed by the depth of experience – as well as her passion for our business - that Elisha brings to our team.

Qualifications: Paragraph 1

What you need:

• Summary of 1 or 2 past work experiences

• Statement of how the hire's experiences are relevant and valuable to the team

For instance:

Elisha recently worked as a social media specialist for Acme Media in Cyberjaya, where she was instrumental in the launch of the company's new consumer direct campaign. She was previously the social media manager at Artisan Media, where she co-led a major rebranding project. Her keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our industry will be invaluable as we launch our new consumer campaigns.

Qualifications: Paragraph 2

What you need:

• Summary of the new hire's relevant certifications and educational experience,

• If possible, statement of their assets.

For instance:

Elisha graduated from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications and completed internships with MauKerja. She says that her interactions with each of those organisations sparked her interest in developing new campaigns.

Personal introduction paragraph (optional)

What you need:

• The new hire's volunteer or other activities and hobbies.

• A message from the new hire.

For instance:

Elisha enjoys hiking with friends and volunteering with her local animal rescue group when she's not coming up with fresh campaign ideas. She also wants everyone to know that she is looking forward to meeting you all on January 24th.

Welcome event invitation

What you need:​

• Date, time, and location of an informal welcome,

• Encourage everyone to attend

For instance: 

On January 24th, at 11:30 a.m., we'll host a sandwich buffet lunch in Conference Room C to welcome Elisha and give everyone a chance to say hello. Please let us know if you'll be attending using Google Calendar.

And that's how you welcome a new employee into your organisation. All you need is to draft the email and send it to everyone. 

Source: SkywaterSearch