Activating consistent culture comms among new employees

Company culture binds an organization together by fueling community, passion, loyalty and retention.  

To sow the seeds of organizational culture with new employees from their first day on the job, communicators must work directly with employees, managers and even interns. Setting the stage by welcoming them into the organization’s culture immediately sets up new employees for a rewarding and mutually beneficial experience. 

Setting the tone from the start 

Between new email passwords, benefit packages, and the day-to-day processes of your new role, starting a new job can be a whirlwind. But training around these new processes and procedures can offer a conduit for expressing and connecting new hires with an organization’s culture. 

Karen Testa, director of global communications at Bell Flight, says that culture conversations need to happen before someone ever opens their laptop on their first day at a new job. At Bell Flight, employees take part in a program called First Flight, which orients them not only with their new duties but with cultural practices as well. 

“In addition to a welcome message from the CEO, we also instill personal messaging in our onboarding process,” Testa said. “We give them a chance to ask all the questions they need to ask, but we also provide a mentor to show them the ropes, both practically and culturally.” 

And naturally, these throughlines should continue as onboarding proceeds. Johnna Muscente, vice president of communications and PR at Corcoran, said that instilling culture can’t just be a one-time act when a person starts a new role — it needs to be an ongoing process. 

​​”Over the next 30, 60 and 90 days, you can pull various levers that bring company culture to life,” she said. “A structured onboarding program is much more than just a branded PDF, it should also include onboarding sessions that cover the company’s mission and values, as well as professional expectations and key processes.” 

She added that Corcoran typically pairs new hires with more experienced employees who went through the same process to provide a relatable and invested perspective on the business.  

“I like to pair new employees and interns with an onboarding buddy — an experienced staff member who can help them navigate and understand workplace culture in a more dynamic way,” she said. 

Immediate connections and lasting impressions 

Employees are more likely to gain their footing more quickly if they can learn by example to adjust culturally. That goes for employees in leadership roles, all the way down to the intern level.  

Lisa Claybon, vice president of a global food service company, said that her organization has worked to provide interns with moments of interaction with leaders to help culture infuse. 

“For a recent team of interns, we’ve made a concerted effort to give them a well-rounded experience,” she said. “This includes setting up weekly coffees with leadership team members and providing each one with a buddy or mentor, as well as having them rotate through some core activities and a campaign challenge exercise.” 

Claybon added that first impressions matter a great deal when it comes to new employees, and communicators need to create avenues for cultural osmosis. 

“One way to think about it is ‘what will a new employee go home and tell their family and friends about their new job?’” she said, “How do you create experiences that make them excited about the decision they’ve made, but also help set them up for success so they excel professionally and become a great addition to the team?” 

 Melissa Musiker, interim head of comms at UPSIDE Foods, said that the little things you do to communicate culture in those early days will stick with people and set the tone for whether they’re singing the praises of your company or making an early exit. 

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” Musiker said. “What someone hears in those early days is what’s really going to stick with them about the job. Instilling culture early can set up a long-term narrative about a company for people.” 

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.