Welcoming a new employee isn’t just about showing them where the coffee machine is or handing over a laptop. It’s about helping them feel part of something bigger, your company culture. Whether you’re a small business with a handful of staff or a national organisation with thousands, embedding new starters into your culture is one of the most powerful ways to boost engagement, retention, and performance.
So, how do you do that well?
Why Culture Matters from Day One
Company culture is about the shared values, behaviours, and ways of working that shape your organisation. Embedding a new starter into your culture is crucial so that they feel part of your business from the moment they walk through the door.
According to Gallup, only 12% of employees strongly agree that their organisation does a great job onboarding new employees. That’s a huge missed opportunity for employers to positively influence their new hires. The onboarding experience sets the tone for everything that follows; how people collaborate, how they make decisions, and how they feel about their work so employers need to pay more attention to this area.
Brandon Hall GroupHYPERLINK “https://brandonhall.com/unlocking-the-power-of-onboarding-to-aid-employee-retention/” found that organisations with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%. That’s not just good HR, it’s good business.
Start Before They Start
Embedding culture with a new starter begins before the first day. Employers can share their culture through the wording in their adverts and how candidates are interviewed to set the tone and give prospective employees a flavour of the culture they might be joining. Once a recruitment decision has been made and a job offer accepted then what is known as pre-boarding starts, here’s how to make that phase count:
- Send a welcome pack: Include a personal note, relevant documents, and maybe even some branded goodies or a personal gift.
- Set up a buddy system: Pair new starters with a colleague who can answer questions and offer informal support to help the settling in period run smoothly, make the introduction to the buddy before the new starter’s first day so that they can connect.
- Share your story: A short video or blog about your company’s journey, values, and people can help new hires feel connected and excited about their new job before they even arrive.
Make Onboarding a Cultural Experience
Onboarding is more than policies and passwords, it’s about people. Here’s how to weave culture into the process:
- Host a culture induction: Go beyond the usual induction that employees expect on policies, codes of conduct and health and safety information. Share stories, company traditions, and what makes your workplace unique.
- Introduce values in action: Don’t just list your values show new hires how they play out in real life. For example, if “collaboration” is key, highlight cross-team projects or shared wins which demonstrate the power and effectiveness of culture in action.
- Encourage questions: Create safe spaces for new starters to ask about anything, doing so will build confidence and increase a new employee’s understanding of the company.
Communication Is Everything
New starters often feel like outsiders, so communication is key. Make it easy for them to connect, contribute, and feel heard.
- Use inclusive language: Avoid jargon and acronyms that might confuse newcomers.
- Celebrate small wins: A shoutout in a team meeting or a quick “well done” message can go a long way.
- Ask for feedback: What’s working? What’s confusing? Use surveys or informal check-ins to learn and improve. New employees often see things from a different angle and fresh eyes can bring fresh ideas.
Involve the Whole Team
Embedding culture isn’t just HR’s job, it’s everyone’s. Encourage your team to play an active role:
- Invite new starters to team rituals: Whether it’s Friday quizzes or Monday team huddles, these moments build belonging.
- Encourage storytelling: Ask team members to share their own onboarding experiences or what they love about the company.
- Make introductions meaningful: Go beyond names and roles and share hobbies, interests, and fun facts to spark real connections.
Measure What Matters
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Track how well new starters are integrating by using some of the following:
- Pulse surveys: Quick, regular check-ins to gauge engagement and cultural fit.
- Retention data: Are new hires staying beyond the first 6–12 months? If they are then you’re doing something right, if they’re not then it’s time to find out why and take action.
- Performance reviews: Are cultural values reflected in feedback and goals?
According to the CIPD the average UK worker turnover rates is around 34% with poor onboarding cited as a key factor in early exits. Embedding culture can help reverse that trend.
Keep Evolving
Culture is not static, it grows with your people. Encourage new starters to shape it, challenge it, and contribute to it.
- Invite fresh perspectives: Ask new hires what surprised them, what they love, and what they’d change and do differently.
- Update your onboarding regularly: What worked for onboarding last year might not work now. Keep it fresh and relevant.
- Celebrate diversity: Make sure your culture welcomes different backgrounds, experiences, and ideas so that you are a truly diverse employer.
Embedding new starters into your company culture is an ongoing journey. Done well, it creates a sense of belonging, purpose, and pride. Done poorly, it can lead to confusion, disengagement, and turnover. Take the time to welcome, connect, and empower your new employees. Your culture and your business will be stronger for it.
Do you have any questions about today’s blog, need help in becoming legally compliant with contracts/policies or can we support you in taking away any people pains to give you peace of mind?
If you answered yes to any of the above, just give us a call at CUBE HR on 01282 678321, or book in a FREE 30 Minute HR Health Check here FREE HR Health Check and we’ll happily give your business a full HR overview with our personal recommendations absolutely FREE!
Why not also check out last weeks blog How Does a Business Get Rid of Toxic Culture.
We also have a YouTube channel with loads of handy videos outlining various HR related scenarios.
