Morning Brew - 👻 Ghost stories

You spend weeks—months, even—interviewing for a job. Along the way, you imagine what could come of it: new coworkers-turned-friends. Work that you’re proud of and talk to your parents about on Sundays. By some miracle (and, you know, your talent)…you get the job! Future colleagues email you with excitement. New Twitter followers pile into your notifications. Soon it’s Day One: onboarding, a sh*t ton of Zoom meetings. And then: silence. Who can I go to for this? Where do I send that report? You look left, right, and feel completely alone.

Writer Brent Pearson went deeper into this phenomenon, which he coined the “new hire cliff,” in a recent story for Fast Company.

“Left unaddressed, the new hire cliff can reduce an employee’s productivity and satisfaction, hinder long-term engagement and connection, and even make them want to resign early,” said Pearson.

This is a stark reality for companies that are already struggling to retain employees in the face of the Great Resignation. Pearson also noted that this phenomenon tends to occur more frequently in remote positions.

Anyone who’s started a job remotely within the past two years knows how nerve-wracking it can be. To then also feel like you’ve been thrown into a role that you don’t fully understand or haven’t been prepared for is a clear issue.

While it can be daunting to create a remote onboarding process that leaves new employees feeling excited and ready to take on their new role, Pearson offered a few solutions:

• First, help new employees forge connections with coworkers through email intros, virtual coffee chats, and team events.
• Next, personalize the onboarding process for each new hire.
• And lastly, prepare managers and ensure that they’re also feeling supported.

Have you ever fallen off the “new hire cliff”? Hit reply and let us know.

—Maliah

Make the journey to inbox zero a little easier with these hacks and products.

• A C-suite favorite, Superhuman allows Gmail users to sort through their inboxes using keyboard shortcuts to categorize and prioritize messages. The company also works with users to provide a “white glove email service.”
• Use Unroll Me to unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters (not this one, of course!), promotional emails, and spam all at once.
• TikToker @littlestickdesigns employs Gmail’s inbox settings so that incoming messages are automatically labeled “starred,” “unread,” “follow up,” or “everything else.”
• And TikToker @danidonovan goes even deeper with her labeling system, i.e., categories and subcategories to boot.

Read: Hotel staffers spilled their sp00kiest stories to Texas Monthly. Spotted: a humpback shadow who can walk through walls, a former soldier from the Battle of San Jacinto, and a mysterious figure sporting skinny jeans.

Listen: Since 2018, journalist Jennings Brown has been investigating the Fellowship of Friends, a NorCal doomsday cult. Three years later, the story is finally here in a brand new podcast, Revelations.

Watch: Welcome to Lizzo’s TED talk. She dives into twerking’s origin story and how her ass became her greatest asset.

Spice up your Meatless Monday with five of our current favorite vegetarian recipes.

• Once you make tofu in your air fryer, you won’t go back. Gillian Zamora, director of product management at the Brew, said: “This is a quick weekday staple that I put in a bowl with broccoli or other veggies, brown rice, and tahini sauce. It gets the job done when I don't want to order unhealthy takeout."
• We discovered a homemade black bean burger that molds and holds. For the veggie-friendly version, replace Worcestershire sauce with BBQ sauce. Even carnivores will crave it.
• Bookmark Gordon Ramsay’s vegan BLT recipe, and don’t scrimp on the basil aioli.
• Confession: We’ve never been to Nobu, but rumor has it that the miso-marinated black cod is one of the must-order items. Spread the not-so secret-sauce (hehe) on Japanese eggplants for a five-star side dish.
• This isn’t your classic gnocchi: It’s butternut squash gnocchi with basil pesto—seasonal and a tad bit healthier. Plus, the TikToker behind this recipe says it’s in-laws approved.