Making the First Day Feel Less Like a First Day

We hope for a smooth first day, but some have become memorable for not quite going to plan — for example…

A confident new starter stepped out of the lift, walked into the busy open-plan office, “Hi, I’m the new guy. I’m looking forward to working with you all.” “Nice to meet you too,” came a reply, “but your office is next door. Same floor, same open-plan layout, different sign, wrong company.”

A new employee could not log in to her desk phone — she messaged IT but accidentally posted the question in the MS Teams All-Staff Group, leading to many quick — mostly unhelpful — tips from colleagues.

Or the new employee who arrived for her first day having been told it was World Book Day. She assumed everyone would be dressing up, went all in, arrived as Mary Poppins. Everyone else had brought a book.

Then there’s the new employee at a newspaper who was told on the first morning that there was an office tradition. Whenever someone sneezed, instead of saying “bless you”, everyone would say “go to hell”. Fine. A little odd, but he would go with it. Later in the day, he heard a sneeze and confidently told his new boss to go to hell. The prank revealed, the ice was broken.

Funny in hindsight. Less funny during the moment.

Any other first-day stories you have heard?

So why do first days go like this?

Because most of us walk in with no clear idea of exactly how the day will unfold. We get shown around, meet lots of new people and try to remember their names, while starting to quietly work out how everything actually works.

And somewhere in the middle of all that is the question — will I fit in?

These feelings don't start on day one. They start much earlier, even as early as when the job advert is seen. It’s OK to assume employee onboarding begins when someone walks through the door, but preparation can begin much earlier.

From accepting the offer and through those days or weeks before their first day, many feelings can kick in. And that's where preboarding can make a difference.

You can't anticipate every question a new colleague has; everyone is different. But you can provide the basics, show some care, and ask.

It's what got me thinking about how onboarding can be improved, especially the period between receiving an offer and arriving on the first day.

One of my ideas is a shared welcome from future colleagues, so someone feels expected before they've even arrived. Not a manual. Not a checklist. Just people saying: we know you're coming, and we're glad about it.

Good onboarding doesn't need to be complicated. It needs to feel organised, thoughtful and human.

If you're interested in creating a free employee welcome page for someone joining your organisation, drop me a line. I'll be happy to set one up for you. I'll put an example in the comments.