It is their first day at a new job. They are looking at you for guidance and answers, and they will be for at least the next few days if not weeks. Everyone knows new-hire training can be, well, less than engaging. How can you help your new hires stay focused and feel included? Use Echo360Point to engage them throughout the days and weeks ahead—give them the chance to feel comfortable and gain important feedback in the process.

Here are 5 polling questions to ask in new-hire training to keep your audience engaged and coming back!

1 In one word, how are you feeling on your first day?

Start by acknowledging the first day of a new adventure! Everyone has first-day jitters and excitement. This is a great time to follow up with what their first day feels like together as opposed to how they will feel on their last day of onboarding or training. In fact, perhaps you ask a similar question on their last day of training/onboarding and see how the responses vary.

Question-type match: WordCloud

2 What was the onboarding experience like at your previous employer?

Set the tone by asking a question your new hires know they can answer without pressure or training. Asking about their previous experience is a good example as it is a topic they know well and have been through. This question will give them practice answering a polling question without the worry of getting the answer wrong.

Question-type match: Short answer

3 Do you have any questions for me?

This question gives nervous new hires the chance to take control of their first day. If they are serious-minded they may ask about their schedule or how long onboarding typically takes. You may have a couple new hires with a lighter side asking when the first break is or what is for lunch. If you are lucky, you will have both and everyone will get a nice chuckle out of it.

However, not many new-hire trainings last one day. So start each day with this question to see if there is a pattern of topics you may have overlooked or questions everyone has in common. A consistent start to a training day also helps participants feel more comfortable with each passing day. Before you know it, they will feel like long-time employees!

Question-type match: Short answer

4 Can you locate (insert area) on this building map?

Everyone knows you get a tour on your first day! But who actually remembers where everything is? Before you know it, you are sitting at your desk, perhaps in solitude, wondering where the vending machines were located. A fun, lightweight quiz of popular office areas can be an interactive way to review that tour and engage your new hires. You can also use this question to go over emergency exits or safety zones.

Question-type match: Hotspot

5 How effective do you feel this training has been in order to ready you for your position?

Every employee trainer and HR manager wants to know that they have effectively reached their new hires and readied them for their new career in the company. The easiest way to know? Ask! And use a Likert scale for uniformed responses. This question is best asked at the end of the training process as an anonymous response. Participants tend to be more honest when you can’t tie their responses to them, and this question requires honesty.

In fact, this question may be the most important one you can ask your new hires. It will enable you to evaluate yourself and your training methods, to either keep up the good work or improve your form. Either way, an honest response here will keep you on your “A” game.

Question-type match: multiple choice, anonymous

Are you ready to implement one (or all) of these questions in your next new-hire training? Schedule a demo today to see how easy it is to implement Echo360Point!

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