3 Steps to Onboard New Community Members Effectively
Discover the secrets to seamlessly integrating new members into a community with this insightful guide. Each step is infused with wisdom straight from industry professionals, ensuring a blend of simplicity and effectiveness. Learn how to create welcoming systems and personal touches that resonate with newcomers, backed by expert advice.
- Set Up Simple Systems
- Welcome With Personal Touch
- Start With Personalized Welcome
Set Up Simple Systems
People stay where they feel appreciated, important, and valued. It's important to set up systems right from the start to support your new members. Hearing from the community leader is a top priority. This could be a welcome video, group Zoom meeting, email, or personal call (depending on the size of your community). This gives the leader a chance to express thanks to the new member for joining. It also is an excellent opportunity to set up expectations. What can the new member expect (what's in it for them) and how can they take advantage of everything the community offers. Simple systems are important. If a new member feels overwhelmed they won't plug in, won't get connected, and eventually will leave the community. Setting up simple systems and putting time to implement in the beginning will lead to long-term dividends in the end. Questions to answer may include: Where does the community "live"? Is it an in-person community? A web forum such as a Facebook group or Skool app? How does a new member get connected to other members? What opportunities exist for the new member? Is there a checklist on first steps new community members should take? How are new members welcomed into the community? Are there rules new members need to know about? If a new member has questions who do they reach out to? There are so many ways to make new members feel welcomed and important. A simple recognition post, a series of welcome texts or emails, or private onboarding Zoom sessions, can make all the difference. Think about what kind of community you want. One with a large churn rate or one that keeps members for the long haul. The work you put in on the front end to connect with your new members will be worth it when your community continues to grow and you aren't always needing to find new members to replace the ones who left. When you put your members first they will stay and want to share your community with others. Which in the end is the ultimate goal!
Welcome With Personal Touch
We think of onboarding like welcoming guests to a dinner party—Rise is the host, and new members are our guests. No one likes walking into a room where they don't know anyone, so we make sure they feel at home right away. First, they're greeted by Meowzer, my 16-pound cat and official onboarding ambassador. She adds a fun, personal touch that makes joining Rise feel different from just another job platform. We also encourage new members to introduce themselves through hello posts, so they can connect with others right away. And to keep the momentum going, we have a celebration wall where members can share wins—whether it's landing an interview, getting a job, or just taking a step forward.
Start With Personalized Welcome
Onboarding new community members is all about making them feel valued and connected from day one. My process starts with a personalized welcome message-whether it's a direct message or a welcome email-introducing them to the community's mission and key resources. I also ensure that new members are introduced in a group setting, allowing them to introduce themselves and share their interests or goals. This creates an instant sense of belonging.
Next, I provide an easy-to-follow onboarding guide that includes how to navigate the community, where to find key discussions or events, and any essential tools or documents they should know about. I make sure that there are engaging ice-breaker activities or forums where new members can jump in and start interacting.
To further foster inclusion, I assign community mentors or advocates who help guide new members and answer any questions they have in the early stages. Lastly, I ensure that there are regular check-ins, either through surveys or direct messages, to get feedback on their experience and address any concerns. By making new members feel heard and part of the team right away, we build lasting connections and a strong sense of community.
