Why do we start new employees first thing Monday mornings?

[Mel Kleiman]

It maybe good for the Payroll department, but is it any good for the new employee and his or her manager?

At www.citymax.com, a build-your-own-website service in Vancouver, British Columbia, new employees always start on Fridays, when work is less hectic and everyone has time to introduce him- or herself. The new hire is greeted with balloons, streamers, and a welcome card signed by the entire staff. By the time lunch rolls around, "the comfort level is through the roof," says co-founder and president Dean Gagnon. That's when new hires are asked to relate an embarrassing story about themselves. "It gives everyone insight into the new person," says Gagnon. [Excerpt from a recent article at INC.com]