The contract is signed, your new employee has accepted the job and there’s a sense of relief that recruitment is finally finished.

But they might not actually start for another four weeks.

In this episode of Find Grow Keep, I’m looking at that often-overlooked period between accepting a job offer and day one, and why it’s an important part of the candidate experience.

While you’re organising payroll information, super, laptops and system access, your new employee is still in their old workplace. They’re finishing things off, saying goodbye to colleagues and perhaps dealing with a counteroffer. They’re also starting to wonder what their new workplace is really going to be like.

So what should happen during those few weeks?

I talk about how to stay connected without smothering someone, why their new manager should be part of that communication, and what a simple preboarding process can do to reduce uncertainty before they arrive.

We also look at the extra complications that come with hiring towards the end of the year. Is it actually better for someone to start just before Christmas, or would January give them a more useful introduction to the business? And if you have a Christmas shutdown, what do you need to think about when your new employee hasn’t accumulated much annual leave yet?

In this episode, you'll hear about:

→ Why candidate experience doesn’t finish when someone accepts your job offer.

→ What may be happening for your new employee while they’re serving out their notice period.

→ How to keep a new hire engaged before day one without creating lots of unnecessary activity.

→ Why a simple call from their new manager can be more useful than another automated email.

→ The three things I think about in preboarding: administration, certainty and connection.

→ Why recruitment, preboarding and onboarding may be separate processes to us, but the employee experiences them as one continuous journey into the business.

→ Where preboarding can cross the line into asking somebody to complete work or mandatory training before they’ve actually started.

→ How to decide whether a December or January start will give your new employee a better experience.

→ What Australian employers should check around Christmas shutdowns, annual leave and public holidays when somebody has only recently joined.

→ The small things you can organise before day one that help someone feel expected and make it easier for them to settle into their role.

The aim isn’t to create an elaborate preboarding program. It’s really about recognising that there is a person on the other side of all that administration who has made quite a big decision to join your business.

A little communication and thought during those few weeks can make the transition much easier.

Make sure to subscribe to stay updated with new releases on Mondays!

Visit https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/for more insights and resources.

Related episode articles:

https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/the-importance-of-emotional-connection-in-onboarding/

https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/standardise-onboarding-with-these-3-simple-tools/

https://www.amplifyhr.com.au/what-to-do-when-your-new-hire-isnt-working-out/

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