Avoid "Hire's Remorse": Impress new employees the moment they get hired

Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt adapted from the new book, The Employee Experience Revolution: Increase Morale, Retain Your Workforce, and Drive Business Growth.

A survey by Robert Half in 2018 found that 28% of workers admitted to having accepted a job offer but then backed out before their start date. Additionally, a 2019 study by Randstad USA reported that 43% of workers had ghosted an employer by not showing up for the first day or by stopping communication altogether. 

Many companies miss an incredible opportunity to capitalize on the new employee’s excitement of starting with a new organization. A lot of things can occur during the radio silence from the time they accept the position till their first day of work. They can receive other offers. They could get cold feet and start second-guessing. This can lead to what Joey Coleman refers to as “hire’s remorse” in his book Never Lose an Employee Again.

The prestart phase is where you can demonstrate how your culture is like no other they have ever experienced. Jump-start their employee morale and excitement about this new chapter of their professional career and their life. 

Coleman calls this the “Accept phase,” which “offers the chance to capitalize on the euphoria associated with this offer and acceptance while creating a memorable moment at the instant the candidate becomes an employee. When a candidate accepts your job offer, you must show them how excited you are and make them feel wanted. Many organizations fail to see the opportunity to create a milestone memory in the actual extending of the job offer: a feeling of being wanted ... stop and consider the times in your life when someone let you know they wanted you.”

This is where it gets really interesting. Coleman shares, “When a prospective employee decides to accept your job offer, a physiological reaction takes place in their body. Brain science shows that when a prospective employee moves from a state of consideration to a decision to accept an offer, a chemical is released in the brain. Dopamine floods the gray matter, creating an emotional euphoria. The newly minted employee feels excitement and joy because their job search is over. They believe they have found what they were looking for all along. In this euphoric state, an employee is filled with hope for their future. They anticipate continued growth and learning, the chance to contribute to a larger cause or mission, possibilities of advancement, new challenges, and exciting opportunities. They plan to meet new people, do new things, be exposed to new situations, and achieve new things.”

Your unique culture 

“At this key moment in the relationship—when both parties are thrilled that the search is over, and a decision has been made—the employer and employee often communicate asynchronously. An email or letter is sent, a decision is made, and an email or letter is sent back. Asynchronous interactions usually don’t feel celebratory, and such an important occasion deserves to be celebrated. Don’t miss the chance to capitalize on your new employee’s excitement—and join them in the jubilation!” says Coleman. He concludes, “Magnifying the excitement and enthusiasm around a new employee joining your team gives them a boost of confidence that they made the right decision. Promoting their commitment to your organization publicly celebrates the new hire and builds broader interest in your enterprise. Using social media platforms to creatively announce new team members highlights your ongoing hiring efforts and praises your new team member in the same message.”

Create special moments

David Burkus, author and professor, shares several tips on creating some special moments even before a new employee starts. “The first tactic to make new employees feel welcome is a before-the-start-date teaser email. You’ve been interacting [with] new hires during the interview process, and you know their contact information, and you know a lot about them. So, before their first day on the job, preferably just a day or two before their start date, send them a quick email sharing how excited you are for them to join the team. Mention specific information you recall from the interviews and connect it to the work your team will be doing. Just that simple message can help them focus on what they’re looking forward to and help them feel cared for and understood even before you’re technically their team leader.”

Burkus continues, “The second tactic to make new employees feel welcome is an ‘enter-view.’ This is sort of the opposite of the interview process. Instead of the new hires telling the team about themselves, it involves the team telling the new hires how excited they are to welcome them. Ideally, members of the team were involved in the hiring process, and this enter-view is the chance for them to draw from what they remember to share why they’re so excited for their new teammate. Enter-views work best when done in person early on the first day, but it could also be done by bombarding new hires’ desks or email inboxes with positive messages throughout the day as well.”

John DiJulius III, author of The Customer Service Revolution, is president of The DiJulius Group, a customer service consulting firm that works with companies, such as Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Ritz-Carlton, Nestle, PwC, Lexus, and many more. Contact him at 216-839-1430 or info@thedijuliusgroup.com.