“You never get a second chance to make a first impression” – Will Rogers

The first week in any job is important. It’s like starting school all over again. But when it comes to international recruits, there are often more elements to think about. It’s not only about providing a great first impression of the role; it’s also about creating a great first impression of their new home.

Being well-prepared and organising some welcoming gestures can go a long way to helping your new team members settle in to their new environment. Consider incorporating some of the following ideas into their first week with you:

Organise an Airport Meet and Greet – When you’re travelling to a foreign country for the first time, there’s nothing quite like having someone to meet you at the airport with a board that has your name on to give you a sense of relief. Having someone welcome your new team member off their flight who takes them to their new accommodation is a lovely welcoming touch, and can reduce pre-travel nerves. Ideally this would be someone they have corresponded with previously, but even a trustworthy commercial service can provide peace of mind for the individual travelling.

Offer free accommodation for one month – Many employers will provide international recruits with at least one month free accommodation so they don’t have to worry about sourcing this as soon as they arrive. This blog suggests some more creative ways of finding suitable accommodation for your healthcare professionals that can help them concentrate on the job in their first week, rather than where to live.

Create a Welcome “care package” – Depending on the accommodation arrangements, you may want to consider providing a “care package” for your new team member. Bearing in mind that they will be very unfamiliar with their new local environment and could be arriving at an anti-social time, providing basics such as bread, butter, milk, cheese and fruit can avoid confronting them with culinary dilemmas before they’ve had a good night’s sleep. If you want to get a bit more personal, you could even include a hand written note from someone in their team welcoming them.

Provide a Welcome Information Booklet – There will be lots of new processes for your new team member to get their head around. Make it easier for them by providing a booklet of helpful information. This could include guidance on how to open a bank account, how to use the local transport network and the names of local supermarkets. It at least gives them a starting point for navigating their new environment and avoids current team members being asked the same questions repeatedly.

Ensure you have a thorough induction programme – A good orientation will enable an employee to understand the set-up of their new role, and what is expected of them. Given their new work environment could be quite different to what they are used to, providing sufficient information in the induction can help reassure the employee and avoid awkward situations later on down the line. This programme should include introductions to key people and a tour of the facilities. It can be helpful to provide your new employees with a checklist so that it is easier to monitor their progress.

Offer a financial advance if appropriate – If your new recruit is coming from a country with a different cost of living, be conscious that they may not have the funds available to afford key expenses in their first few weeks. You may want to discuss the possibility of giving them a cash advance on their salary to help them manage this situation better.

Set-up a “Buddy System” – Match new recruits up with experienced team members who can show them the ropes. Having the advice of someone who has done it before, but isn’t a supervisor can be a helpful way to learn without as much pressure. Experienced buddies can help new employees feel welcome rather than lost.

Ultimately, the success of an employee’s first week will set the tone for their experience with you, so making efforts to help them feel as welcome and comfortable as possible early on can only be a good thing.

Good luck and please let us know how you get on.

My Healthcare Recruit supports UK healthcare employers in the public, private, and care sector to find international nurses who are a great fit for their organisation, by using market-leading video interviewing tools to connect them to our database of qualified candidates. Our innovative approach makes international candidates easier to find and more cost-effective to source than ever before. Find out more at www.myhealthcarerecruit.com