Originally posted September 2021. Updated May 2026.
Last week, we wrote about why it’s smart to treat your job candidates just as you would prospective clients. Just as you are selling your product or service to a potential customer, you are selling your company to potential employees. Today, we’re sharing why this method doesn’t end when you hire someone—once your position has been filled, treat your new hire the same way you would a new client.
WHAT IS PRE-ONBOARDING ANYWAY?
Perhaps you aren’t familiar with the term pre-onboarding. Or maybe you assume it’s simply the period in which you need to complete any background checks prior to giving a new employee access to your network. Pre-onboarding has become an important part of the employee experience, and just as you have a hiring process and a sales process, you need to develop a pre-onboarding process in order to ensure new employee success.
Pre-onboarding is the period of time between an individual accepting an offer and their first day of work. Depending on the position, the notice provided to their former employer, and whether relocation is involved, the pre-onboarding period can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. And it’s a precarious time—full of excitement, but also uncertainty and stress.
Rankings from The American Institute of Stress indicate that a change in work duties alone is as stressful as moving. Changing to a different line of work is more stressful than taking on a mortgage. At a time when half of American employees are watching for or seeking a new job, one shouldn’t assume that new hires aren’t keeping their feelers out for a better opportunity. The pre-onboarding period cannot be ignored. So, how do you go about developing yours?
TAKE SOME IDEAS FROM YOUR POST-SALE STRATEGY
When you make a sale to a new client, you would never simply drop them into the lap of a customer success manager and walk away. After all, the seventh P of Maestro’s Phoenix Sales Method stands for post-sale. You’re going to get on the phone with your new client and their new account manager in order to foster that relationship. You’ll check in with them, keep lines of communication open, and ask them for referrals.
Think of pre-onboarding the same way. There should be a warm handoff from the hiring team to HR, IT, and the new employee’s soon-to-be team. Lines of communication need to remain open the entire time. And just as you ask new clients for referrals, you should ask new hires for feedback about your hiring process. It’s a great way for you to evaluate your own system as well as show your newest team member that you value their opinion.
TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL PRE-ONBOARDING
We’re all about quickly implementable strategies at Maestro, so here are some ideas for making your pre-onboarding process more intentional and successful.
GET THE PAPERWORK OUT OF THE WAY
New employees come in on their first day eager to hit the ground running. Nothing squashes that feeling of enthusiasm more than administrative paperwork. Tax forms, NDAs, verification of personal details—all of that can be done before your new hire takes their first first-day sip of coffee—out of their new branded coffee mug, of course!
SEND A WELCOME PACKAGE
Got any company SWAG? Send it to your new hire as soon as they accept your offer. It makes them feel appreciated, part of the group, and that you are excited to have them join the team. Maybe you’re flush with water bottles, koozies, and t-shirts with your company logo, but if not, don’t worry. Something as simple as a handwritten note sent to them via snail mail is a great way to make them feel connected.
CONNECT THEM WITH THE TEAM
Send an announcement email to your new employee and all of their new team members. Encourage team members to reach out individually. Share your new hire’s LinkedIn profile so that they can easily connect with their new colleagues. Have current employees send short welcome videos, or encourage your new arrival to send one. You might even invite your hire to the office for a tour, or out for drinks with their future coworkers.
MAKE COMPANY AND POSITION INFORMATION EASILY AVAILABLE
It’s easy for new hires to experience information overload on their first day as they get employee handbooks, information on benefits, project details, etc. There’s no reason not to send them these materials before they arrive. They can spend the weeks leading up to their first day reviewing information at a more reasonable pace.
PROVIDE A FIRST-DAY PACKET
No matter how excited someone is about a new position or how sure they are about the decision they have made to accept it, the first day can be nerve-racking. A poll conducted by Monster found that 87% of new hires admit to having “new job jitters.” (I’m sorry, but who are the other 13%? Narcissists? Psychopaths? Who doesn’t get nervous about starting a new job?)
If your new hire isn’t remote, be sure to give them all the information they will need to feel more self-assured coming into the office. Where do they park? Who is meeting them and where? What is the dress code? What do people do for lunch? Where is the closest coffee shop? What should they bring? Sharing these details can do a lot to make someone’s first day go more smoothly and make them feel better prepared.
CONNECT NEW HIRES WITH MENTORS OR ONBOARDING BUDDIES
Does your company have a mentorship program? If so, connect your new hire to their mentor right away. It will be nice for them to have another person to whom they can go for help or with questions. Even if you don’t have a mentorship program, consider partnering new people with a designated employee who can answer questions and provide help when needed.
KEEP THEM IN THE LOOP
You want to make new employees feel like part of the team as soon as possible. You can help them feel like they are already a part of the company before their first day by keeping them in the loop on projects and events. Send them updates on what their new team is up to. Let them know how you are preparing for their first day. This will make them feel connected and that you’re truly excited for them to come on board.
START SENDING ONBOARDING CALENDAR INVITES
Begin sending meeting invites to new employees right away. This will help them feel prepared as well as included. There are surely onboarding activities that are already scheduled. Let them know what those activities are. Even though they have not yet officially started, having new-hire meetings and activities on their calendar will make the job more concrete, as well as help them get excited about what’s to come.
LET THEM POKE AROUND
Does your organization use a learning platform for onboarding and training? If so, go ahead and give new employees access before their first day. Letting them poke around will help get them acquainted with the tool in advance of their first day. That means they will be able to ramp up faster.
You would never ghost a client once you make a sale, so don’t do it to your new employees either. Research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development shows that 41% or organizations report that new hires leave within the first 12 weeks on the job. A strong pre-boarding process can help prevent this from happening.
Pre-onboarding will help your new hires ramp up faster and help ensure that they maintain their excitement about their new position. Including them as part of the team and maintaining strong communication prior to their first day will help calm their nerves and assure them that they have made the right choice in joining your organization. Developing a strong pre-onboarding practice is good for your new hires as well as your business. It can reduce first-day anxiety for everyone (even the maniacs who claim that they aren’t nervous).
Are you revamping your onboarding process? We can help. Reach out to us at mastery@maestrogroup.co to learn more.