In any workplace, it’s important to give special care to a new employee’s acclimation—and to do so consistently for all similarly situated employees. Inclusive new hire paperwork, introductions to new colleagues, check-ins with a supervisor, an explanation of the overall team or organization and its operations, arranging for lunch or break buddies—each of these can help a new team member feel included. And, across the organization, what is signaled as important during these initial days is formative—an absence of information about values, workplace culture, and workplace dignity may create a hard-to-fill vacuum.

From an organizational perspective, HR and business leaders should work together to ensure that during the crucial onboarding stage, new employees feel seen, recognized, and included (drivers of dignity), and consistently receive the same measures of support, information, and grounding. This promotes engagement and retention of all employees, especially younger employees and employees of color.

• Recruiting

• HR generalists/business partners

• Facilities and internal tech/operations teams

• Hiring managers and their leadership teams

• Inclusion and diversity teams

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