The first day at work for a new hire can be daunting. Many doubts often arise such as, who do I need to ask if I have questions, who am I working with, what tasks do I need to perform, and where do I go? The role of HR is to provide guidance and a soft place to land for new hires.
It’s imperative to provide new hires with a great first impression of your company as it sets the tone for their experience. With the right onboarding process, you can increase your company’s productivity, reduce costs, and reduce attrition for new hires.
What is Employee Onboarding?
Employee onboarding refers to the processes in which new hires are integrated into your organization. It includes activities that allow new employees to complete an initial new-hire orientation process, as well as learn about the organization and its structure, culture, vision, mission and values.
Why is the Onboarding Process Important?
An intentional employee onboarding process is necessary to help new hires settle into the workplace, learn about the company, clarify career goals, and form productive relationships with their peers.
Onboarding doesn’t just matter to HR; studies have shown 1 in 10 new hires left their new company due to poor onboarding experiences, and 37% of employees said their manager did not play a critical role in their onboarding experience support.
Effective onboarding processes require careful consideration and strategic planning. Here, we’ll share best practices to guide you through building an effective onboarding process.
The 4 Key Considerations When Creating an Onboarding Process
When creating an onboarding process, there are several key considerations that should be taken into account to ensure that new employees have a smooth and successful transition into their new role. Here are four key considerations to keep in mind:
Clear expectations: Clearly define the expectations of the job, including the employee’s roles and responsibilities, performance goals, and the company’s mission and values. This will help the employee understand how their work contributes to the overall success of the company and what they need to do to excel in their role.
Structured training: Provide structured training that covers the basics of the job, such as company policies and procedures, software systems, and job-specific skills. The training should be organized and easy to follow, with clear objectives and milestones to help the employee track their progress.
Cultural immersion: Help new employees feel like they are a part of the company culture by introducing them to the company’s values, vision, and mission. Encourage them to engage with their colleagues, attend company events, and get involved in company initiatives. This will help them feel like they are part of a team and will improve their overall job satisfaction.
Ongoing support: Provide ongoing support to new employees to help them adjust to their new role. This can include regular check-ins with their manager, mentorship from more experienced colleagues, and access to resources and tools that can help them succeed in their job. It’s important to make sure that new employees feel supported and valued throughout their onboarding process and beyond.
The 4 Steps of an Onboarding Process
There’s a lot to cover during the onboarding process. To help simplify your planning (and not overwhelm your need employee), break it down into 4 main categories.
- Before The First Day
The onboarding process starts once an offer is accepted and signed. As soon as you have confirmation of job acceptance begin preparing new hire paperwork such as employment contracts, tax forms, employee handbooks, legal documents, and benefits information.
Further, remain available for employees to ask any questions that may arise before their first day to help them feel supported and informed as they begin their journey with your company.
- Coordinating with Other Departments
Onboarding a new employee may be a process helmed by HR, but many other departments play a role in setting up new comers for success. For example, IT is needed to assign a company email address and provide equipment, managers are required to discuss roles and responsibilities, or your product team may be needed to provide product training. Whatever the tasks may be, it can be helpful to make a list of the various action items that require non-HR stakeholders to coordinate with. Ensure that you touch base with each necessary contact to prepare the various action items needed to support your new hire.
- The First Day
When it finally comes time to welcome your new employee to the office, much of the administrative paperwork should be complete. Now it’s time to demonstrate great company culture by providing a warm welcome. Be sure to cover the basics like showing them their workspace, providing a tour of the office, and introducing them to their colleagues. Consider ways you can further personalize the process to provide your new employee with a sense of belonging such as planning a welcome lunch, assigning a mentor, or creating a slide for your staff meeting sharing some fun details about their interests.
Pro Tip: Send out a new employee introduction email to the team prior to the new hire’s first day to alert their team of their arrival.
- After The First Week
The first week of a new role can be exciting, and sometimes overwhelming. Your new employee may be filled with questions, or unsure of what to do next. Schedule an end-of-week check in to provide an opportunity for them to share how their experience has been and ask any questions they may have. This is also the time to take stock of any paperwork or deliverables that may need completion from the onboarding process. Keep up the momentum by scheduling 30, 60, and 90 day check-ins, and identify any additional resources or trainings the employee may need to have a successful experience.
Automate Your Onboarding with Omni
No matter your company size, HR is often tasked with wearing many hats and juggling various responsibilities. HR’s tasks are essential for your company to function, but much of the record keeping requires cumbersome administrative tasks that take up the majority of your valuable time.
With Omni HR, you can automate your onboarding process to eliminate manual processes and paperwork. Digitize and automate custom workflows on one easy-to-use platform to streamline your onboarding process. With automated reminders, task notifications, and centralized data, you can reduce the amount of time spent managing paperwork and reduce data entry errors.
Save more time to focus on strategic planning and employee engagement.
To learn more about how Omni can streamline your onboarding process book a demo with our team.