Maintain regular contact with them during the period between the acceptance and start date.Look after employees from day one, making every effort to help them adjust to their new role as smoothly as possible. Ensure the new hire has everything he or she needs for a smooth integration.

Prepare an agenda for the new hire’s first day including a timetable for training. Have a member of management greet the individual, offer them coffee, provide them with a tour of the office and show them to their new desk. Assign one experienced team member to mentor the individual and facilitate their integration into the company during their first few days.

Get all paperwork completed on the first day quickly and efficiently. Begin training from day one so the individual feels confident about their role and contribution to the company. Make the learning process as enjoyable as possible; instead of overwhelming your new employee with a ring binder crammed with pages and pages of information, make the learning process more social by introducing your new hire to relevant team members who are more knowledgeable on certain topics.  This will make it easier for new employees to seek out the leaders and enhance their knowledge.

Offer small, manageable assignments that prevent the new hire from getting bored yet don’t overwhelm them on their first day. As their first day comes to a close, ask them for feedback on their day. Ask how everything went and if they have any questions. Discuss any worries or concerns they might have and establish what they require for the next day. This will give them a chance to tell you what they need for success, making their transition to their new job much easier. It will also help you to ensure that you offer a seamless transitioning process that helps new hires feel comfortable and welcome.

Though first impressions are important, in order to stand out from the competition you need to create an environment that people love to work in, not only on day one but on a long-term basis.

A positive corporate culture must be consistently instilled within the workforce on a daily basis and from the top down. Management must live and breathe the values of the organisation otherwise all incentives to instil a positive corporate culture will lose credibility and employees will view management as inauthentic (thus encouraging employees to look elsewhere).