8 Ideas to Welcome Your Advisors on Their First Day at Work

We got in touch with three well-respected contact centres and asked them how they welcome new advisors on their first day.

Here is what OVO Energy, MOO and Sky do for their new recruits, to ensure that they enjoy a fun and engaging start to their new working lives.

1. Set Expectations With an Induction Schedule and Phone Call

One week prior to their start date, OVO Energy share (via email) a new-starter pack with new recruits. This gives them all the detail about what to expect during their induction in Customer Services at OVO, including:

Details of their first day
What they need to bring with them
Who their trainer will be
The timetable of their full induction plan, including the hours they will need to work

OVO also provide new advisors with contact details of a person in the training team, should they have any concerns or questions.

Following this, on the Friday before they join on the Monday, OVO will call new team members to check in that they are ready to start and answer any questions they may have, including anything upon reading their new-starter pack.

Starting in a new job/company can be daunting, so OVO make sure they give starters lots of information about what to expect to help alleviate any fears they may have.

New recruits will work in meeting area not cramped offices!

2. Greet New Advisors With a Smiley Face

On their first day, OVO make sure there is someone available to meet and greet in reception – a welcoming, smiling face always gets things off to a good start!

OVO then give advisors a tour of the building and facilities, provide them with their training workbook and any stationery needed, set up their access pass to the building and facilitate a ‘getting to know you’ group exercise.

These group exercises include every new recruit and help them start to get to know one another – even those in other departments, to help create a vibrant atmosphere throughout the contact centre.

3. Run a “Get to Know You” Activity

The group exercise, which includes all new recruits, usually involves groups of around 12 people and is led by the trainer.

Advisors are paired up and do a portrait of their partner using pens on A4 paper, before identifying three key facts about the other person that they then present to the group.

Advisors are paired up and do a portrait of their partner using pens on A4 paper, before identifying three key facts about the other person that they then present to the group.

Once done, the portraits – with the name of each advisor – are posted on the walls of the training room and act as a prompt for the others in the group to learn everyone’s name.

Thanks to the OVO Energy Contact Centre Team

4. Have Lunch With the Manager

MOO have an introductory day, designated specifically for giving new advisors a warm welcome to the contact centre. This day is organised by the People Team (MOO’s equivalent to HR) and the contact centre manager.

The manager will take the new hires on a tour of the surrounding area, so they can see where the good places are to eat, go to the pub and socialise – before they go to lunch with the manager, which is free!

MOO have found this day to work well, because on the first day of “proper” training, there’s a lot to take in, so it’s difficult to remember everything.

However, having this day and lunch with the manager has worked well in ensuring that advisors feel comfortable in their new environment and, if they are new to the city, in their new area. They also, from the get-go, know who they can speak to, if they need additional support.

As well as a free lunch with the manager, advisors are invited to have a free lunch with MOO’s CEO, during their first month with the company. Like lunch with the manager, this helps to break down any communication barriers, while it give new hires the opportunity to ask questions and engage with the wider business.

Who would say no to a free lunch? Just look at MOO’s kitchen area

5. Put Together a “Survival Guide”

MOO like to fully equip advisors with resources as they move through training, so they can reflect back on what they have learned. Each advisor is given a “survival guide” to help with this, taking the pressure off as they take their first few calls.

The survival guide includes a customised “ring-binder”, so advisors can slot in key materials as they go. These materials include resources with product information, advice for building rapport with customers, system guides and so on – all of which were devised specifically to complement their training.

This is as well as the welcome pack, otherwise known as the “come fly with me” pack, that every new member of the MOO organisation receives when they join the organisation.

The “come fly with me” pack includes a MOO-branded notebook, pens, stickers, sweets, a set of brand values, a personalised mug, as well as a guide to the office (depending which office they’re in), MOO merchandise (like business cards) and guides to the surrounding area.

MOO love a personalised mug!

6. Immediately Immerse Advisors With Your Products

The first week of training, including the very first day, is focused around hands-on learning and MOO run a lot of activities centring around their offerings and values.

Giving advisors access to the full range of products and allowing them to “suss them out” for themselves is a much friendlier welcome than a set of product manuals. It also enables the new hires to pick up first-hand knowledge that helps them to relate better to customer queries.

Giving advisors access to the full range of products and allowing them to “suss them out” for themselves is a much friendlier welcome than a set of product manuals.

MOO’s initial training is also tailored around inspiring recruits to problem solve and think outside of the box – while advisors are also introduced to the MOO promise.

The MOO promise, which is made to their customers, is essentially moving heaven and earth to go above and beyond to resolve things for the customer. MOO want advisors to be very open-minded and empower them to do what they think is best to help the customers. So, this training, even on the first day, is about presenting the best options to individual customers.

Thanks to the MOO Contact Centre Team

7. Prepare a “Welcome to the Team” Box – for Fun and Learning

On their first day in the Sky Academy, which is where advisors are trained before they enter the contact centre, new recruits are given a “Welcome to the Team” box.

The welcome boxes contain a card for a two months of free access to NOW TV, including access to movies and entertainment so they can start to watch Sky’s content from day one.

Also, after four weeks, advisors are eligible for free full Sky TV & Broadband with discounts on diner upgrades and also discounted Sky mobile packages.

The welcome box is great for helping advisors to get to know the products that they discuss with customers – it’s not just about great perks.

For example, if a customer says that they really like one show on NOW TV, the advisors can make similar suggestions for other shows that they can watch – as they also have access to NOW TV. This can help to strengthen rapport and improve the customer’s satisfaction with Sky’s offering.

Sky’s welcome boxes also include a Sky-branded notebook, pen and lanyard, alongside a welcome note from their Sales Director.

Take a look at Sky’s welcome pack for yourself!

8. Create a Welcome Card That Is Signed by the Whole Team

As well as a handwritten letter from the Sales Director, each new advisor – when they graduate from the Academy – also receives a “Welcome to the team” card signed by all the members of their new team.

The idea of the card is to help reinforce Sky’s team values. It also serves as a reminder to the team to be as accommodating as they can to their new member.

In addition to the card, Sky have members of the leadership team join advisors for their first day to say hi and welcome, before assuring new advisors of their support, should they need it.

Thanks to the Sky Contact Centre Team

What Are Other Contact Centres Doing?

While we have taken you through the ways in which OVO Energy, MOO and Sky welcome new advisors in detail, here are some quick ideas from other contact centres:

Interflora welcome new advisors with a bouquet of flowers – an appropriate and pleasant gesture!

Lego offer newcomers their own hoodie, so they really feel part of the team.

Masco Window Group also offer a welcome pack on the first day, but also arrange a team night out at the end of the first month. Bowling, food and then drinks is said to work well.

Salesforce give new recruits “office swag” and a name tag to go along with their equipment. Additionally, they are paired with a peer mentor who walks them around the facility and introduces them to everyone and the common spaces.

For more on contact centre mentors, read our article: How to Develop Coaches and Mentors in a Contact Centre

For more great tips from OVO Energy, MOO and Sky, read our articles:

Author: Robyn Coppell

Published On: 2nd Jan 2019 - Last modified: 11th Jan 2019
Read more about - Call Centre Life, Editor's Picks, Team Building, Team Management, Training