In this day and age, hiring has become a real challenge. So it’s natural that when adding a new member to your team, you would like to not only celebrate your new hire but do so in a way that creates the biggest splash possible on LinkedIn.
Announcing new additions to your team is a milestone that – if done thoughtfully – can make waves on multiple fronts. Certainly, sharing the news about your new team member has positive effects and demonstrates success externally (to outside connections within your marketplace, investors, clients, etc.) but a well-played announcement plan also reinforces your team culture internally as well – spreading goodwill among your team to improve morale and foster positive dynamics.
But what’s the best way to announce your growing workforce on LinkedIn?
We get this question all the time.
Using our three-part game plan will ensure you not only offer your newest team member a warm welcome but highlight the value they will help you provide to your clients as well.
Part 1 – The Company Announcement
First, you’ll want to create a post expressing how happy you are to have your new member join the team. You’ll want to be sure to include the value and benefits your newest member brings to the crew and how they’ll specifically help further the value the company brings its clients. Typically, the best time to post this announcement is on Wednesday at 12:00 pm EST.
Example: Relish Studio is bursting with pride because we have welcomed Tara McCormack to the team as our Online Business Manager. Tara, a self-proclaimed “chaos coordinator,” has spent much of her career implementing more productive systems and procedures for marketing companies like Relish. We’re delighted that she’s brought her passion and processes to Relish, so that we may better serve our clients by introducing a more streamlined system to our day-to-day operations. We’re certain that with Tara on our team we can continue to drive success for our clients, while they focus on changing the world for the better.
Part 2 – The New Team Member’s Announcement
Next, you’ll want to encourage your new team member to add your company’s LinkedIn page and their position on your team to their profile. Ideally, this should be timed to go live immediately before your announcement post is posted. We usually suggest 1-3 hours between these two actions. The following day, your newest team member should create a new post announcing their joy at taking a new position with your company. The post should tag your business, as well as highlight their past experience and what they’ll take from that experience to help make their new position with your company a success. There should also be a line thanking anyone directly over them, or on their specific team, at your company. Lastly, we suggest the new team member end the post with a statement that expresses an achievable goal they have for working with the company. The best posting times are Thursdays at 9:00 am EST, or between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm EST.
Example: It’s been a fantastic month for me so far, and the good days are sure to keep rolling in now that I have officially accepted a position as Relish Studio’s Online Business Manager. I’m excited to take the attention to detail I’ve fine-tuned during my time with The Maven House and apply it to the systems that help keep Relish a shining example of what it means to provide a phenomenal customer experience for clients. I’d like to thank Stu and Bret for offering me the chance to join a company that truly cares about making a difference. I can’t wait to start ushering in Relish Studio’s future next Monday morning when I start work!
Part 3 – Outreach
The last step to ensure your announcement makes a big impact on your audience is to get the entire company involved. Encourage other team members to comment with congratulations. Request that your team leaves engaging comments rather than just quickly posting a note saying “way to go,” or “liking” their post. Engaging comments look more like: “I’m looking forward to working with you on xyz.” or “I’m glad you’ve joined us and will get to add xyz to the company/team.” The Tuesday following the initial announcement is good timing. Encourage anyone working directly with the new team member to repost the original welcome, with a note of their own that outlines:
- Joy
- Appreciation for what they bring to the team or knowledge/skills they possess
- Achievable goals they have for working together.
The 3-part framework we’ve outlined above not only helps make an impact with your original announcement but also continues directing traffic back to your company’s page for the next 7 days. This not only helps your metrics, but it also helps your business stay top-of-mind with your audience.
BONUS TIP: Another good way to keep eyes on your company’s page is to encourage all team members to have your company and their position with your company as part of their LinkedIn profile. This is especially important if they’ll be part of the above game plan, as you’ll want their association with your company to be part of the overall showcase.
