Onboarding is one of the most critical moments in the employee lifecycle, especially for new or young workers. It’s often one of the only times you have that one-on-one space with them outside of review periods, and it sets the tone for how safe and comfortable they are in the workplace and whether they’ll feel able to speak up later.
Make a point not to just run through policies; use onboarding to start building a relationship. We talk about safety expectations, yes, but also about the culture we want to create: one where questions are welcomed, mistakes are part of learning, and their voice matters. Introduce them to key people, explain how they can share concerns or ideas, and let them know that checking in regularly is part of how we do things.
From there, it’s about follow-through. Continued check-ins, casual conversations on the floor, and consistently reinforcing that it’s okay to ask, share, or speak up. With young workers especially, it takes intention and repetition before they really believe that the door is open, but once they do, they bring fresh insight and energy that can make a huge impact.
The most important thing is to be consistent and follow through. If you say you will do continual check-ins, schedule them so they occur. If your actions do not match your words, you will not build a relationship based on trust and honesty.