As the saying goes, "you don't get a second chance to make a first impression." The impressions formed by both the employer and the new hire on the first day of work can have a lasting impact. Employee onboarding (the term for new hire orientation and mainstreaming) is a critical part of the hiring process, and can be an important factor in employee satisfaction, retention, and even their overall performance and impact. Yet many recruiters fail to consider the implications of onboarding, and their role in making the process a smooth and productive one for clients and employees. While the bulk of a recruiter's job lies in sourcing and interviewing candidates, savvy recruiters understand that the process of bringing a new employee into a client company can really make or break the experience for all involved.

As a recruiter, the onboarding process presents some unique challenges: you can't be there for your new hire's first day, you can't influence or control the corporate culture at your client's company, and you can't do too much about the orientation systems or training processes in place at the new job.

So what can you do to help your new hire and your client company smoothly navigate the onboarding process? Below are some helpful "Dos and Don'ts" for providing valuable support and communication during those first days on the job as well as the weeks leading up to them:

DON'T play "chase the paperwork:" Employment applications, tax forms, direct deposit slips, benefits enrollment, drug screens, and other new hire documentation can quickly add up to a paperwork nightmare. While ensuring these forms are accurate and complete is a necessary evil of the hiring process, it shouldn't create extra stress for you, the employee or the employer. As a recruiter, you can make the process easier for new hires by sending them all the necessary forms in one bundle, well in advance of their start date. Include a checklist of forms to be completed so they can keep track of what has and hasn't been done. Better still, create an online hub where new hires can find, complete, and submit materials as needed.

If working on a direct hire, bundle and send the competed forms as one complete package to your client, so that fewer documents risk getting lost in the shuffle of separate faxes and emails. If you're working with contract or temp-to-perm placements, one option for additional ease and accuracy is choosing to outsource the administrative portion of the on-boarding process to a third-party vendor who will work with your employee and your client to ensure completion and verification of all new hire paperwork, and will then process the new hire information and keep track of administering payroll, benefits, taxes, and insurances for you.

DO remember your homework:The absolute best way to ease a new hire's anxiety about their first day on the job is to provide them with a good understanding of the corporate culture and expectations at their new workplace. And the only way to do that is by thoroughly researching your client's culture, history and values. Nobody wants to show up in a suit when the rest of the office is in jeans, or end up without change for the meter because they planned on free parking. Familiarize yourself with details regarding your client company's dress code (including any casual days), parking access, lunch hour policies, start and end times, and other elements of the corporate culture, and clearly communicate those to your new employee. Talk to your client to gain an understanding of their plans for the employee's orientation process and ensure that the employee will be given adequate workspace and supplies. Suggest that, if possible, the new hire be assigned a teammate or point of contact who can handle all their questions and concerns during the orientation period. On the employee side, talk to your new hire several days before their start date and provide them with a general overview of what the first day and week will look like. You may also want to furnish them with a brief company history, and a list of names and titles of people with whom they'll be working. This way they can prepare in advance and won't be as overwhelmed with new information on the first day of work.

DO put yourself in their shoes: Remember, although you're familiar with your client company and your candidate, they aren't familiar with one another. When managing your portion of the on-boarding process, try to consider the experience from both your client's and your employee's perspectives. Your client is relying on you to make the sourcing and hiring experience as simple, effective, and painless as possible, and likely wants the same for their onboarding experience. Meanwhile the employee has entrusted you with finding them the right job and representing them to their new employer, and desires a new hire process that makes them feel like a valued, wanted new member of the team.

DON'T assume "no news is good news." Just because you haven't received any calls from your new hire or client several days or a week into the job, don't make the mistake of assuming things are fine and neglecting to check in. Put in a quick phone call to both your new hire and your client contact after the first day of work and again several weeks later to see how things are going and offer help and support with any issues that may arise. Knowing they have someone willing to help them through the initial adjustment period is a key step in creating satisfied clients and comfortable new hires.

DO ask for feedback: The best way to improve your onboarding services? Ask your clients and employees! A simple phone call to each party several weeks into the job assignment is a great way to check in and find out what went well and what could use some fine-tuning. Or, if you prefer to get more specific information, you may wish to send a formal survey to your clients and recruits asking them to rate various aspects of the hiring process as well as provide suggestions for improvement. Sites like Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey) or Zoomerang (www.zoomerang.com) offer free tools for designing and distributing email surveys.

Working to ensure a truly outstanding onboarding process will take a little extra time and effort, but the rewards are well worth it. Making your clients and new hires feel comfortable and informed will increase employee trust, improve client satisfaction, and set you far above your competitors.