The First 90 Days: Building Relationship with New Hires for Lasting Engagement

A new hire's first few interactions with people set the emotional tone for their relationship with an organisation — more than any policy, welcome pack, or perk ever will. Managers who understand this have the biggest lever for building genuinely engaged teams.

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In a nutshell:

• New hires aren't just learning the job. They're forming their first impressions of the relationships that will shape how they work

• Intentional connection in the first 90 days determines whether a new hire feels they truly belong and whether they'll bring their best to the team

• When leaders invest in the relationship first, performance follows naturally

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Why Relationships Define the Employee Onboarding Experience

New hires can join an organisation at any point in the year. While they're caught up in the logistics of onboarding schedules and orientations, something far more significant is unfolding beneath the surface — the quiet work of forging meaningful connections. 

On their first day, they are stepping into a team they have never met, yet will spend most of their working days alongside. They are entering a culture they do not yet understand, navigating different personalities, work styles, and unfamiliar team dynamics.

In the effort to find their footing, they observe how people communicate, how decisions are made, and begin forming their first impressions of the team and getting a sense of how they feel about the organisation.

When success is measured only by completed checklists, companies risk overlooking something equally important: a new hire's sense of belonging. Those that intentionally design onboarding around human connection lay the groundwork for stronger engagement and commitment in the months ahead.

How leaders and colleagues interact with new hires matters most during this time. Gallup found that employees who have a best friend at work are significantly more likely to be engaged. Now, imagine stepping into your first few days on the job without a real connection. How would you feel?

How to Engage a New Hire in the First 90 Days

The first 90 days aren't just an administrative runway. It is pivotal for a new hire's outlook, motivation, and long-term commitment to the team. It will define the foundation of a relationship that will either fuel their best work or quietly erode it.

So what are some ways to engage them and develop this relationship?

With the second half of the year also marking the season when many university graduates step into their first professional roles, there's no better time to revisit how we welcome people in and explore the relational mindsets that can help onboard a new wave of talent effectively.

The First 30 Days: Make the new hire feel safe to engage in conversation

Before a new hire can contribute meaningfully, they need to feel safe enough to try.

In the first month, new employees are gathering data. They're watching how people interact in meetings, listening to the undercurrents in casual conversation, and forming impressions about what's valued. They don't yet know that your team does a 2 PM coffee run, or that your manager prefers direct messages over emails. They are, in every sense, learning the culture by observing it.

This is why early interactions carry disproportionate weight. 

A warm introduction from a team lead, frequent invitations to lunch, or even a genuine "how are you settling in?"  aren't small gestures. These regular interventions are acts of inclusion that signal to a new hire that their experience matters.

Initiating conversations that clarify any general curiosities and allowing new hires to open up and establish a sense of psychological safety, which has a direct bearing on how new members eventually interact with the organisation. 

When they feel safe, they become willing to engage, ask questions, and take the kind of initiative and risk that makes the relationship stronger.

Insight for welcoming Fresh Graduates

For many fresh graduates, this is their first experience of a professional relationship. They're not just observing the culture, they're deciding whether the world of work is a place they want to belong to. That's a significant responsibility for the managers who welcome them in.

Deloitte’s research on Gen Z highlights a clear shift in what younger employees expect from work: it is no longer viewed as a purely transactional exchange, but as an environment where meaning, development, and authenticity matter from the outset. Fresh graduates are actively assessing whether an organisation aligns with their values, whether they can see a path for growth within it, and whether they are treated as a genuine member of a team, not just someone executing tasks. 

This places significant weight on the early actions of managers and teams. Day-to-day interactions become the clearest signal of culture—how feedback is given, how openness is shown, and whether development is actively supported. 

For ROHEI, this reinforces a simple but critical truth: onboarding is not just about integration into systems, but about anchoring their place through a shared sense of investment. The first experience of work often becomes the benchmark for what “good leadership” feels like, and it can either shape a sense of belonging or quietly erode it over time.

In our piece on engaging Gen Z, we noted that managers who take an active interest in their people — understanding their story, their needs, and what drives them beyond the work itself — are the ones who earn their dedication.

The Next 30 Days: Deepen relationship to give effective feedback

By the second month, a new hire is beginning to find their footing. The initial overwhelm has settled, and they're starting to show up with more confidence. This is the window for the manager relationship to deepen.

New hires are still reading the room. They're asking quietly: Is this a place where I can make mistakes and still be respected? Will my manager be honest with me? 

The answers to these questions often surface during check-ins, where a manager shares feedback on their work.

Feedback given without relational foundation can feel like judgement. The safety a manager builds in the weeks before that conversation is what changes how it lands. When a new hire knows their manager sees them, listens to them, and is genuinely invested in their success, feedback stops being something that happens to them and becomes something that happens for them.

And it's not only feedback that safety unlocks. Often, a new hire already knows where they're struggling — they just need a manager who creates the space to say it.

The Last 30 Days: Belonging Becomes a Choice They Make

At the 60 to 90-day mark, they start to decide how much they belong here and how much of themselves they’re willing to give to the team and the organisation. 

What started as support gradually shifts into collaboration — the new hire is no longer just receiving; they're beginning to contribute their own perspective, ideas, and energy to the team. That shift is worth noticing and nurturing.

This phase is about signalling that there's a place for them to grow. Offer stretch opportunities. Continue honest check-ins. 

Belonging isn't something an organisation can mandate. Psychologist Abraham Maslow recognised it as a fundamental human need — one that must be felt before a person can ever reach their fullest potential. 

At work, that feeling is built slowly, in the moments a new hire feels noticed, included, and genuinely cared for.

A New Chapter at ROHEI: One New Hire's Experience

What does this look like in practice? Here's one new hire's experience of joining ROHEI.

Sharing by Valerie from the Guest Experience Team

Having been in the Hospitality industry throughout my career, joining ROHEI and moving into the Adult Education industry felt daunting for me, as it is a completely new environment. Yet close to a year in, I can safely say that I have not felt this much joy doing what I do for work. There are so many reasons why, and I can capture them through these 3 P’s.

1. People-centric Environment

When I say ROHEI loves people, I mean they LOVE people. There are bright and cheery greetings to everyone every day, impromptu lunch dates between departments, and cheeky huddles during worktime to have afternoon tea together or plan the next weekend hike. Then, there are big gestures too – inviting our families to our annual Christmas gatherings, paying attention to physical, mental and emotional well-being, and intentionality to include. They care not just about the work we produce but also the people and values that keep us going.

I still cannot forget my unofficial first day at the office. It was not to start work, but to have lunch with our founder two weeks before I started. It was a casual afternoon of pizza and fried chicken with a few other newly-joined members, organised to simply chat and get to know everyone. It left a deep impression on me because I have never experienced such an intentional welcome before. I was very touched that they included me and another lady slated to start later too. With a simple invite, it made us feel like we were already a part of the organisation.

2. Passion

The ROHEI team is passionate in their contributions. Despite everyone having their own expertise and workloads, they are always ready to help another if it leads to the success of a project or the organisation. This passion is ROHEI’s way of saying “We are better because we achieved this together.” Leaders are not afraid to get busy moving furniture, serving meals to clients, and running errands for the rest of the team. Because of their hearts to serve, it is not difficult to feel admiration and be inspired by them, and it strengthens the desire to work hard together.

3. Purpose

The ROHEI mission is to inspire hope, joy, courage and purpose in the global workforce, and my colleagues have claimed that mission as their own. There is an aligned understanding that our work can and will be impactful, and every department moves towards that goal together. Yes, we all have our own areas of expertise and are unique individuals, but just like eyes are made to see, and ears made to hear for the body to function, we recognise our differences don’t divide us. Instead, it strengthens us. 

After all, we are better together.

Closing Thoughts: What Mindset Should Leaders Have About Building Relationships?

The first 90 days are a window that doesn't stay open forever. What leaders give in that window shapes not just how a new hire performs, but how loyal they feel to the people and purpose around them.

The most effective leaders don't see relationship-building as something separate from the work. They understand it is the work.

Take care of your people first. Their best work will follow.

Want to build a culture where relationships drive performance? Connect with us to find out how ROHEI can help your leaders and teams.