Onboarding new employees is a critical step in the hiring process. If this step is neglected, your new employee may have trouble adjusting or may even decide to leave the company. In this post, we provide nine important elements to help you properly onboard a new employee.
What is Employee Onboarding?
To start, it's critical to understand the true meaning of employee onboarding. A new hire's onboarding involves introducing them to the business and preparing them for their new position. This process involves informing them about the business, introducing them to their teammates, and ensuring they have all the tools necessary to succeed in their new position.
It’s a step-by-step process for new employees which enables them to understand your business's culture, procedures, and what is expected of them.
It starts the moment your send over the job offer and might continue for the first three months. The advantages of onboarding new hires include higher retention, better comprehension of the business culture, increased compliance, and a stronger sense of team connections.
What Should Be Included In An Employee Onboarding Process?
- Prepare an employee handbook: This provides the employee with information about your business. Discuss your cultures and consumer personas, moving beyond your goal, values, benefits, and policies. Read more: What to include in your employee handbook
- Give them a welcome package: This could include welcome notes or company swag. Read more: 5 things to include in your welcome package
- Assign a "buddy": To help your new hire adjust quickly, assign someone to assist them in getting started at work. This mentor or buddy could help answer any simple questions they may have.
- Set easy-to-reach 90-day targets: Choose a few achievable goals that will boost employee morale and help them succeed right away. Use Craft's free 90-day plan template to create and share goals with your new staff.
- Fix regular times for one-on-one meetings: Set up a short amount of time each day to discuss their progress and alert them to any upcoming difficulties.
- Plan a "meet and greet" for your new employee with clients or stakeholders.
- Develop FAQ lists of questions new employees usually have as they begin work.
9 Effective Ways to Successfully Onboard A New Employee
There are several ways to successfully onboard a new employee. We have handpicked nine effective elements that will successfully onboard a new employee. You should keep in mind that even though these nine steps work well, the employee onboarding process should be flexible enough to adapt to different employees, and it should be evaluated regularly to measure its effectiveness.
Get prepared in advance
If you don't plan, you plan to fail, as the saying goes. It is crucial to plan ahead for the onboarding process so that new hires can move into their roles without any difficulties. You should:
• Set up a robust orientation program
• Create any accounts the employee may need
• Create instructional materials
• Share crucial details like the workplace location, parking, and dress code.
By doing these, you can ensure new hires get off to a productive start, lessen confusion and uncertainty, and foster a favorable first impression.
Welcome the new employee
You can help new hires feel at ease and supported at work by giving them a warm welcome on their first day. Include things like:
• Giving them a warm welcome and introducing them to their co-workers
• Assigning a mentor or buddy to guide the new hire through their new position
• Small, thoughtful gifts such as a welcome package and company swag
• Ensuring newly hired employees are encouraged and at ease as they begin their new jobs.
Provide an overview of company policies and procedures
During the employee onboarding process, it is helpful to provide new hires with an overview of corporate policies and procedures, so they will know what is expected of them, the firm's rules and regulations, and how to act in the workplace. Additionally, it can assist them in learning how to manage particular circumstances that can happen during the course of their employment. It might be easier to assure compliance with legal obligations and foster a happy and productive work atmosphere by giving clear and straightforward information about the organization's rules and procedures.
Provide job-specific training
By offering job-specific training, employers can make sure that new recruits have the know-how and skills necessary to do their jobs well. Theoretical and practical elements may be included in this form of training, such as instruction in the company's policies and processes and practical instruction in the use of particular tools or equipment. Giving staff members opportunities for continual training and development can also be helpful for their professional growth.
Encourage open communication
Creating a happy and effective work environment starts with encouraging open communication for new hires. Open communication can include asking new hires questions, responding to them, and offering feedback. This form of communication can foster a feeling of community, increase employee engagement and motivation, and help to establish trust.
Provide support and resources
Giving new hires assistance and resources enables them to settle into their new positions more quickly and makes them feel appreciated and supported as team members. Support and resources can be provided in the form of a mentoring program, opportunities for training and professional development, and access to pertinent tools and materials. A clear line of communication can also be established, such as by routine check-ins with a manager or a human resources person. Employee engagement and satisfaction can be increased by having access to resources and assistance.
Encourage new employees to socialize
Encouraging socializing is crucial since it makes new hires feel at home and helps them form bonds with their co-workers. Activities like team-building exercises, get-together meals or happy hours, and chances for new hires to mingle with and converse with staff members from various teams or departments can all be considered socialization. New hires benefit from socialization by feeling more at ease and like they belong in the workplace. It can also promote collaborative efforts, which can raise employee motivation and engagement.
Make the process flexible
Employers may better meet the different demands of their workforce by offering a flexible onboarding process, and new workers will adapt to their new roles more easily. It can be easier to meet different employees' unique requirements and preferences by making the employee onboarding process adaptable. Offering many possibilities for training and development is one example of this. It may also entail providing flexible scheduling alternatives, such as letting new hires begin on a day that works best for them or working a flexible schedule.
Measure and celebrate the successes of your new employees
During the onboarding process, measuring and acknowledging new hires' accomplishments can encourage the development of a friendly and encouraging work environment as well as increase employee engagement and motivation. Setting up specific objectives and benchmarks for new hires' roles and then monitoring their progress toward achieving those objectives can help measure their success. It's good to acknowledge new hires' accomplishments informally and formally as part of celebrating their success.
Can existing employees go through the onboarding process?
Absolutely! Existing employees can participate in the onboarding process, particularly if they are assuming a new position within the organization or need to be briefed on new rules and regulations. This technique, sometimes known as "re-boarding" or "cross-boarding," aims to ensure that all staff members are aware of one another's roles within the organization as well as its policies and procedures.
Re-boarding can also be advantageous for workers who have received promotions or new responsibilities because it can boost their self-assurance and comfort in their new positions. It can also assist in making sure that all staff members are informed of any new or revised guidelines that may have been implemented after their previous orientation.
Final Words
It’s well worth putting in the effort to thoroughly onboard new staff and really get them off to a great start at your company. It will ultimately lead to happier, more productive employees who will stay at your business for a long time.