Every job has its own roles, responsibilities and expectations, also known as the job scope. A job scope needs to be clear and straightforward. This allows employees and job candidates to gain a realistic and actionable understanding, facilitating high performance.

However, the reality is job scopes can be vague, causing expectation gaps and employee frustration. Luckily, avoiding this friction is as simple as creating a clear job scope accompanied by a direct job description (JD).

Here, we’re going to explore the job scope meaning, and walk through how to write a job description, along with providing a job description template you can follow to make sure you’re onboarding talent that knows exactly what’s expected of them.

Importance of a Job Scope

Everyone wants to know the purpose of their role and responsibilities. Not having a clear understanding of your role is a bit like showing up at a party with no introduction—sure, you could probably work out the social dynamics in time, but it would be a lot easier if you had someone to tell you what was going on. A clear job scope is exactly as that introduction, and is extremely important for employers and employees alike.

For Employers

Better clarity and alignment: When job scopes are clearly defined, employers and employees alike have a better understanding of what is expected in each role. This clarity ensures that everyone is aligned with your company’s mission, vision, and objectives, reducing confusion and promoting unity within your team.

Enhance performance management: Job scopes are a great reference point for evaluating the performance of your employees. By aligning performance metrics with job responsibilities, you can more accurately assess your employees’ contributions and provide targeted feedback and support to help them succeed in their roles.

Minimize conflict and misunderstandings: Ambiguity surrounding job roles can lead to conflicts and misunderstandings among your employees. Clearly defined job scopes minimize the frequency of these issues by establishing boundaries and expectations, reducing the likelihood of role overlaps.

Increase efficiency and productivity: When your employees know exactly what’s expected of them, they can focus their efforts on tasks that directly contribute to their role’s objectives. This focused approach increases efficiency and productivity by minimizing time wasted on low-priority tasks.

For Employees

Improve employee satisfaction: Having a clear understanding of their job scope gives your employees a sense of purpose and direction. When employees know exactly what is expected of them and how their work contributes to your organization’s success, they’re more likely to feel satisfied and fulfilled in their jobs.

Better career development: Clearly defined job scopes will provide your employees with a roadmap for career advancement. By understanding the specific responsibilities and expectations associated with their roles, your team members can identify areas for growth and development, set meaningful career goals, and pursue opportunities for advancement within your organization.

Stronger work relationships: Job scopes that are easy to understand and follow promote collaboration and teamwork among your employees. When everyone knows their role and responsibilities, it becomes easier to work together effectively, share knowledge and resources, and support each other towards achieving common goals. In turn, this leads to stronger work relationships and a more positive work environment.

Empower employees: When your team knows what’s expected of them, they are empowered to take ownership of their work. They’ll have the autonomy to make decisions within their scope of responsibility, and feel able to take initiative, solve problems, and contribute to the organization’s success, without excess hand-holding. This sense of empowerment helps develop a culture of accountability and innovation within your workplace.

Effective Tips to Define Your Employee’s Job Scope

It’s all well and good to understand the job scope meaning and its importance. But clearly outlining job responsibilities can be trickier than it seems. Here are five tips you can follow to ensure your job scopes offer the necessary role clarity:

1. Identify their core responsibilities

To start, clearly outline the main duties and tasks that define your employee’s role. This includes noting the key functions they’re expected to perform on a regular basis, such as daily tasks, ongoing projects, and specific job duties specific to their role.

2. Outline expected outcomes 

Clearly define the expected outcomes and deliverables associated with each core responsibility. This involves specifying the goals, objectives, and performance expectations that your employee is responsible for achieving within their role.

3. Decide the level of decision-making authority

This is an absolutely essential part of how to write a job description—your employees need to have a clear view of where they fall in the chain of command at your organization to avoid friction and conflicts. This includes:

• Level of authority: Determine the extent to which your employee has the autonomy to make independent decisions within their role. Establish boundaries for their decision-making authority and empower them to take ownership of their tasks, in so far as their role demands.

• Process for handling situations that require higher level approval: Establish clear protocols for handling situations that fall outside their authority or require input from higher levels of management. Outline the process for escalating issues, seeking approval, and resolving conflicts as needed.

4. Provide tools and resources available

Equip your employees with the necessary tools, resources, and support they need to effectively carry out their job responsibilities. Without them, even the goals of a clearly defined job scope might be impossible to achieve. This could include access to relevant software, training programs, mentorship opportunities, and support from colleagues or supervisors.

5. Emphasize on collaboration and communication

Encourage collaboration and open communication within your team to boost alignment and clarity around job scopes. Encourage a culture of transparency and inclusivity where your team members feel comfortable asking questions, seeking clarification, and sharing feedback about their roles and responsibilities.

Relevant reading: 5 Onboarding Manager Job Description Examples to Attract Top Talent

Key Components to Include in Your Employee’s Job Description

With all the above in mind, here is how to write a job description that effectively captures the job scope for your employees:

Job title and summary

Begin by clearly stating the job title, which should accurately reflect the role and level of responsibility within the organization. Provide a brief summary that outlines the purpose and objectives of the position, highlighting its importance and relevance within your company. 

This might look something like, “Marketing Manager: Responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies to drive brand awareness and customer engagement.”

Job purpose

Define the primary purpose of the role, including its overarching goals and objectives. 

An example of this might be, “The primary purpose of this role is to lead the marketing team in achieving company sales targets and expanding market share.” This helps employees understand the high-level context of their work and how it contributes to your organization’s mission and objectives.

Job duties and responsibilities

Provide a detailed list of the specific duties, tasks, and responsibilities associated with the role. Clearly outline the day-to-day activities and functions that your employee will be expected to perform, including any special projects, ongoing initiatives, or key deliverables. 

An example of these duties might be:

• “Develop and implement comprehensive marketing plans and campaigns.”
• “Manage digital marketing channels, including social media, email, and online advertising.”
• “Analyze market trends and competitor activities to identify growth opportunities.”

Required skills and qualifications

Specify the essential skills, qualifications, and experience necessary to succeed in the role. Make sure to include educational requirements, professional certifications, technical proficiencies, and relevant work experience.

Distinguish between “must-have” qualifications and “preferred” qualifications, if applicable. 

For example:

• “Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or related field.”
• “Minimum of 5 years of experience in marketing, with a proven track record of successful campaigns.”
• “Strong analytical skills and proficiency in marketing analytics tools.”

Work environment and culture

Describe the work environment, company culture, and organizational values that define the employee experience at your organization. Highlight any unique aspects of your workplace culture, team dynamics, or company ethos that may impact an employee’s day-to-day experience and employee engagement at your workplace. 

For instance, if your organization prioritizes collaboration, consider including a line like: “We foster a collaborative and innovative work environment where creativity and teamwork are valued.”

Compensation and benefits

Provide information about the compensation package and employee benefits associated with the role. 

This may include details about salary range, bonus opportunities, healthcare benefits, retirement plans, paid time off, and other perks or incentives offered by the company. 

Not sure where to begin?

Best Practices for How to Write a Job Description

Once you’ve decided precisely what you’re going to include in your job description, it’s important to consider how you convey it. Here are some tips on how to write a job description that perfectly conveys the role you’re promoting:

Use clear and concise language 

Clearly articulate the role’s responsibilities, duties, and requirements using easy-to-understand language. Avoid using overly technical terms or industry jargon that may confuse candidates who are not familiar with terminology that might seem normal to people who’ve worked in your organization a long time. 

Aim to convey the key aspects of the role concisely, making it easy for candidates to grasp what’s expected of them.

Highlight what matters to your target audience

Tailor the job description to appeal to the specific audience you are trying to attract. Consider the demographics, preferences, and motivations of your target candidates, and emphasize the aspects of the role that are most likely to resonate with them. 

For example, if you are recruiting for a marketing position, highlight opportunities for creativity, innovation, and collaboration. If you are targeting entry-level candidates, focus on growth opportunities and training programs.

Provide realistic expectations 

Be transparent about the realities of the role, including the workload, working hours, and any potential challenges or difficulties. Avoid overselling the position or making unrealistic promises that could lead to disappointment or dissatisfaction later on. 

Instead, provide a candid overview of what the job entails, including both the rewarding aspects and the potential obstacles. This will help your candidates make informed decisions about whether the role is a good fit for them, and ultimately help you bring on talent thatès a more natural fit.

Use neutral language

Ensure that the language used in the job description you create is inclusive and free from bias. Avoid using gendered pronouns or terms that may perpetuate stereotypes or exclude certain groups of candidates. 

Instead, use neutral language that is inclusive of all genders, backgrounds, and identities. Be mindful of unconscious biases that may influence language choices and strive to create a job description that welcomes and values diversity. 

Omni Tip: Have a few different team members review the job description, and take suggestions and edits to ensure it’s as fair and unbiased as possible.

Optimize Job Scoping with HR Tools

Sourcing top talent with our tips on how to write a job description and a well crafted job scope  that fits your team’s needs is the key to high performance and innovation. Omni’s recruitment partners make building and advertising your talent search easy, sourcing and attracting talent to fit your company’s unique needs. 

With seamless integration capabilities, your shortlisted and hired talent are automatically uploaded into your HR system, taking the administrative burden and manual entry errors out of the recruitment process. 

Book a demo with our team to learn more about how Omni’s automated system can streamline your entire employee lifecycle—from recruitment to onboarding and beyond.

Want to begin improving your onboarding experience today while learning how to write a job description and craft your perfect job scope? Download our comprehensive Onboarding Kit for all the tools you’ll need to deepen engagement and provide a world-class company culture from day 1.

Congratulations! You just hired the best talent for a role in your company. What’s next? Building the perfect employee onboarding process for your business needs, welcoming new employees, and ensuring they get the hang of everything their role entails. This is also the best time to clearly communicate the company values and expectations for their position. 

The success of every employee mainly depends on the onboarding process. Many hiring managers and businesses, both large and small, sometimes fail to follow through after an employee accepts a job offer, getting too caught up in the hiring process. 

This oversight can lead to a poor employee onboarding experience, which is often reduced to a simple email or a brief orientation. A well-structured onboarding process should help new hires connect with colleagues, access necessary resources, and understand their role expectations. 

Based on recent workplace experiences, companies can no longer afford to throw employees into a job without proper support and guidance, expecting them to “sink or swim”. In this article, we’ll take you through how you can build an onboarding process from scratch and tools that can help streamline your work. Let’s dive in. 

What is employee onboarding?

Employee onboarding is a process done by companies to integrate new hires into their roles and the company. Depending on the company, the onboarding process may involve introducing them to the company culture, values, policies, and procedures, as well as helping them build relationships with teammates and familiarizing them with the workplace.

Read next: Create a Memorable New Hire Orientation: Tips, Checklists, and Best HR Practices

Why is the employee onboarding process so important?

The employee onboarding process is both important for employers and employees — new employees are seamlessly integrated into their new environment and tools are provided to help them be more productive while employers are able to foster a positive workplace culture and reap the benefits of increased efficiency of work. 

When employee onboarding is done excellently, everyone in the company has a lot to gain such as improved employee engagement, fostered collaboration, better administration, and promoted company culture. However, when done poorly, the new hire may struggle to integrate with its new workplace and tasks, especially in a remote environment. 

Companies and HR managers put a lot of time and resources into attracting and hiring the best talents. It’s a great advantage to use employee onboarding as a tool to create a lasting relationship with new hires and improve the overall ROI of the organization.

Additional reading: Navigating the Digital Divide: Enhancing Remote Team Communication

Building Your Onboarding Process

Now that you know the basics of employee onboarding, it’s time to build your company’s onboarding process and maximize the time to make your new hires comfortable in their new role. 

Pre-boarding

The employee onboarding process starts when you make your decision to hire a talent, that’s why pre-boarding is needed to prepare the company to receive a new employee. 

1. Offer acceptance

The pre-boarding phase starts from the moment the new talent signs the employment contract — showing that they accepted the job offer —  to the first day on the job. 

During this time, new hires are typically excited and eager to start their new role. Effective pre-boarding helps to sustain this enthusiasm and momentum, setting the stage for a successful onboarding experience.

2. Pre-onboarding tasks

It’s important to maintain clear and transparent communication with new hires, especially if there’s a time gap between signing the offer letter and the employee’s official start date. 

During this employee onboarding process, you can: 

• Send necessary information in advance, including company brochure, employee handbook, company ethics, healthcare forms, company mission statement, policies, and more. 
• Provide a welcome video or online tutorials pre-recorded by the HR or team lead for more information regarding the company and their new position.
• Invite the new employee to team outings or company events to build relationships with other team members before their first day.
• Complete necessary background checks and request for payroll and benefits information.
• Deliver the company’s swag package (branded t-shirts, stickers, mugs, journals, and so on).

Additional resources: 8 Key Onboarding Documents for Your New Hire Journey (with templates!)

First week of work

In the first week of work, new hires get to settle in and start contributing to the organization. Here are some things to do in this phase of the employee onboarding process: 

1. Warm welcome

Knowing how to welcome new employees is a skill every HR professional must learn. You can create a warm and friendly atmosphere for the new employees by introducing them to their team, providing a tour of the workplace, and letting them meet members of other teams. 

2. Allocate assets and set up access

Also, employers must ensure the new employee has all the necessary tools and resources to perform their job in their first week as a part of the employee onboarding process. This includes setting up access to relevant software, computers, and company networks.

3. Provide an overview of the role and company

As an employer, you can provide comprehensive information to the new hire about their role, responsibilities, and expectations. This helps them understand the target and goals the company has set for them and work towards achieving it.

4. Provide necessary training

Giving essential training sessions to equip the new employee with the skills and knowledge needed for their role is also important in the employee onboarding process. This can be new hire orientation, workshops, or online courses to give them a good headstart for the position. 

First month and beyond

After the first month, it’s time to sit down with the new employee to properly evaluate their performance. Some companies do this in the first 90 days. 

This form of performance review is specifically for the employee onboarding process and aims to assess the new hire’s past performance, highlight areas of improvement, and set goals for the upcoming quarter. It can also be used as a formality to signify the end of the new hire’s probation period, and to realign new expectations for their role. 

During the first month of work, employers can:

1. Offer ongoing training opportunities and support

The review allows the employer to learn how the new employee feels about the role and subsequently provide support needed for success.

2. Schedule regular performance reviews

A performance review is important to gain insight into the new hire’s working experience, roadblocks faced, and develop strategies and goals to set them on the path for success. These regular check-ins signal to new hires that the organization prioritizes their well-being and in turn, boosts morale and employee satisfaction.

3. Organize team-building activities or social events

Creating team bonding events for employees can help improve communication between teams, and increase overall productivity. Ensuring that there’s work-life balance further boosts employee retention and reduces the possibility of burnout. 

Additional considerations

The onboarding process doesn’t just end after the first 90 days. It takes time before new employees are totally integrated in the company. Here are some additional steps you can include in your employee onboarding process: 

1. Encourage open communication

Creating an environment where new employees are comfortable to ask questions, share their concerns, and provide feedback is an important aspect of employee onboarding. Employers can encourage these communications through regular check-ins, open-door policies, and anonymous feedback channels. 

2. Set up a mentorship or buddy program

Pairing new employees with experienced colleagues who can offer guidance, support, and knowledge can help them scale through their first few months in the company. The assigned buddies should be able to provide a friendly face, answer questions, and help with the social integration of new hires.

3. Recognize and celebrate successes

No one wants to keep working in a place where their labors are not acknowledged. You should celebrate the achievements and milestones of new employees, no matter how small. This can be public team recognition, rewards, or a genuine thank you from the team leads.

Tools to Streamline Your Onboarding Process

The employee onboarding process of new hires for HR takes a lot of time and effort that’s why tools are created to make the process significantly easier. Here are some employee onboarding software you can use to streamline the employee onboarding process for your company: 

Project management software

Project management tools like Asana or Trello can be used by HR teams and managers to organize and assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress throughout the employee onboarding process. The tools can help to create a structured and streamlined approach or reduce the risk of overlooking important steps in the process.

Learning management systems

There are platforms like Udemy, Innform, or TalentLMS that help companies create and deliver customized training programs such as video lessons, quizzes, and assessments. New hires can acquire the necessary skills and knowledge, and it’s a means of supporting the employee onboarding process.

Communication and collaboration tools

Communication and collaboration are needed in every employee onboarding process, tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Workspace help with open communication, feedback, and teamwork among new hires, HR, and other teammates. There is also onboarding software that integrates with these tools.

Read next: Slack Tips and Tricks for More Productive HR Teams

Onboarding software

There are specialized software like Omni, that are designed specifically for employee onboarding, employee data management, and guiding new hires through the process step-by-step. These tools have robust features and automated workflows to make administrative tasks easier. This is effective for new employee engagement and productivity in the organization. 

Achieve a Smoother Onboarding Journey with Omni

As you can see, the employee onboarding process is pivotal to ensure the seamless integration of your new hire into the organization. It is definitely not simple as there are countless action items to think about, tasks to follow up on, and paperwork to complete – even the most seasoned HR professional requires a strong system of organization to ensure a consistent and efficient employee onboarding experience. 

HR automation allows HR teams and managers to easily track, schedule, and follow-up on the various tasks and documents required during an onboarding process. With Omni, you can access customizable email templates to welcome new employees, schedule and automate personalized onboarding communications, track and follow-up on important onboarding documents, and eliminate cumbersome manual processes like data entry that are prone to errors and delays.

Omni frees HR from the many time-consuming tasks of the onboarding process, and provides a consistent and uniform experience for new hires, all in one, easy-to-use system.

Schedule a chat with our team and learn about how Omni’s automated onboarding workflows can increase employee engagement, and give you back your valuable time to focus on strategic planning that drives business outcomes.

Part of the overall onboarding process, new hire orientation is pivotal for every scaling business.

Whilst new hire onboarding deals with the initial stages and details of hiring new people, new hire orientation ensures their interest, engagement, and longevity in your company. 

When carried out successfully, new hire orientation will boost efficiency and productivity, and nurture a healthy and thriving company culture. 

Research suggests that 69% of new employees might remain within a company for three years — if their onboarding was satisfactory. In today’s climate of endless job opportunities, getting new hires to stick around will come down to how well you help them navigate and adapt. 

Read our step-by-step guide on how to create, implement, and optimize the onboarding and orientation process complete with the best tips, practices, a ready-to-use 2024 checklist to guide your new hire orientation process.

New Hire Orientation and Onboarding Benefits

Keep quality talent on board for longer

With proper orientation, you can illustrate to your new hires that you are a serious organization with clear company values, expectations, and systems. This will instill trust, provide direction, and equip your new hires with the information they need to succeed in their roles, helping to drive retention and engagement. 

Build stronger professional relationships

The onboarding process allows employees to get a better understanding of your organization, including organizational structure, teams, and how employees communicate and collaborate. By instilling engaging new hire welcome practices you help foster a sense of belonging and set the foundation for supportive professional relationships, which promotes employee happiness and accountability.

Define clear business objectives and expectations

Orientation is the time to educate employees on the ins and outs of your organization. By clearly defining objectives and expectations both by recording them in your employee handbook as well as verbally discussing the elements during onboarding, you provide employees with a clear reference and guide to success. This ensures alignment among teams and boosts performance outcomes from day one.

Boost productivity

When employees are provided a roadmap and toolkit to aid in their success, they’ll experience a greater sense of purpose and alignment with your organizational objectives. The clear communication and expectations shared during new hire orientation remove any potential roadblocks, helping boost productivity among employees.

Best Practices for a Successful New Hire Orientation in 2024

Get this, 93% of businesses already implement some form of hire orientation. Meaning, keeping up with the latest trends will be essential for your business growth and employee retention.

Whether new hires are provided remote onboarding or attend new hire orientation at the office, it is every HR team’s job to make orientation as smooth and impactful as possible. 

From introducing colleagues, leaders, and teams to getting used to company culture and policies, and learning the tools and software at hand — new hires will need all the guidance you have on deck. 

We did the research — here are the best practices for new hire orientation to implement in 2024. 

Mind the Timing and Agenda

Ideally, you should carry out new hire orientation on your least busy days of the week. Otherwise, a whole-day Monday orientation might be far too hectic for new employees, and prevent you from giving them your full attention.

For maximum efficiency, consider sharing the orientation agenda before time. This way, new hires will have a glimpse into what’s ahead, and be more relaxed. 

Plan for One-on-One Meetings

No matter how many people participate during a single onboarding process, make it a priority to schedule a one-on-one meeting time with each new employee.

As per 2020 research, 56% of new hires prefer working with a personal mentor or buddy. And although groups are the default in most companies, it’s vital that you meet the hires individually to form a connection early on. 

Keeping up this practice during orientation and down the line will help both managers and employees bond, relate, and nurture greater understanding and communication.  

Consider HR Automation

If there’s one thing you want to avoid during new hire orientation, it’s time consuming and bulky paperwork. 

A streamlined alternative to bombarding new hires with endless forms and contracts, and subsequently bogging down HR’s time managing, filing, and manually processing countless documents is to digitize and automate the onboarding process. 

In 2022, 47% of businesses were expected to have applied some employee onboarding AI to their HR processes, making automation the new normal for many businesses. Doing so frees up HR teams from the time consuming processes to refocus their efforts on fostering a strong company culture. 

Whatsmore, automation allows for a more consistent and streamlined new hire orientation, allowing employees to have the best possible experience.

Limit Information Overload During Orientation

Orientation is your opportunity to make a great first impression on your new hire, so overwhelming them should be avoided at all costs. There’s a lot to share with new employees as they join your organization, be mindful not to serve too much information from the start. 

Instead, pace the new hire orientation across several days to ensure the information received is well presented, and employees have time to digest the material and ask questions. 

Overall, orientation sessions should not take longer than an hour, so as to prevent loss of focus.

Vary Your Approach

Instead of strictly presenting company knowledge and culture to your new hires, approach new hire orientation as a chance to invite employees to actively participate in the process. 

Research shows that 54% of companies that offer detailed onboarding experiences, orientation included, noted boosted engagement among hires.

Engaging news hires allows them to absorb information faster, and promotes a sense of ownership during the process.

From presentations to gamification, Q&A, and show-and-tell sessions, interacting with new hires in a more dynamic way will promote greater engagement. 

Improve Through Feedback 

Your orientation process should be constantly measured, audited, and reinvented. As trends evolve, employee priorities change, and so does the future of new hire orientation. By regularly collecting feedback from new hires, you’ll gain actionable insights into what’s working and what needs improvement within your orientation process.

With risk for turnover at its highest within an employee’s first year — 43% happening within the first 90 days — having an engaging and airtight onboarding program that’s informed by employee experience is a must.

Evaluating and Improving Your New Hire Orientation Process

Companies that invest in creating a strong candidate experience witness 70% better quality hires, saving considerable time, money, and effort for HR teams and managers.

To ensure your company stands out to attract top talent, regularly evaluate and improve your overall onboarding and orientation experience. Here are some best practices for evaluating and improving your new hire orientation process.

• Conduct post-onboarding surveys
  See orientation through the eyes of your new hires. Within the first month of completing new hire orientation, conduct a survey for all new hires to share their feedback on their experience. Analyze this information to gather insights on areas of improvement for your onboarding program.
• Observe knowledge
  You’ll get a good sense of how effective your new hire orientation is by observing the knowledge and success of new hires. If you’re consistently experiencing new hires struggling to adapt to their roles, feeling lost or unclear on how to proceed with questions or assignments, or other signs of misunderstanding, there’s a good chance your onboarding program is lacking.
• Measure retention and engagement
  Are you experiencing a cliff of newer employees leaving or organization early on? This could be a sign that your onboarding experience needs improvement. Conversely, if new hires are showing signs of high engagement and happiness, there’s a good chance your onboarding efforts are paying off.
• Continually evolve
  Businesses should regularly take into account the changing circumstances and trends of the working world and adapt their onboarding programs accordingly. For example, when Covid-19 swept the globe and companies switched to remote work, onboarding programs had to adapt to accommodate remote workers, including adding new policies and procedures. Always ensure your onboarding and orientation programs are up to date with the needs of your organization.
• Leverage HR software
  HR software can be highly practical for organizing a successful orientation and onboarding process. Automate tedious tasks, schedule regular check-ins and communications, and build a consistent program to ensure each new employee receives the same comprehensive experience.

Why Create a Comprehensive New Hire Orientation Checklist?

Checklists have remained the ‘it’ practice among many successful businesses and across many different processes. Helping to promote consistency and aid HR teams in nailing each onboarding process, onboarding checklists can:

1. Facilitate the hiring process 
2. Ensure standardization 
3. Help new hires adapt with ease
4. Boost engagement and performance among new hires
5. Minimize compliance mistakes and risks 

2024 Checklist for Your New Hire Onboarding Process

BEFORE THE FIRST DAY

• Confirm start date
• Assign mentor
• Send new employee welcome email
• Send an internal email announcing the new employees’ arrival 
• Prepare new hire paperwork (contract, tax forms, employee handbook, legal docs, benefits info)
• Procure devices and equipment (computers & login info, additional job-specific devices)
• Set up accounts (email, access to job-specific technology, office key, or ID card)
• Add employee to relevant email distribution lists
• Schedule a team lunch for new hire’s first day

ON THE FIRST DAY

• Greet new employees & introduce them to mentor
• Provide any security assets (ID card, etc.)
• Introduce new hires to their team
• Send new hire announcement email
• Attend team lunch
• Assign training material
• Provide a new hire packet
• Schedule an end-of-day check-in

IN THE FIRST WEEK

• Schedule check-in plan (30,60,90 days)
• Organize and schedule training (software, policies and procedures, etc.) 
• Complete benefits enrollment
• Ensure all paperwork is completed
• Schedule a one-on-one meeting at the end of the week to check in

Download our free Complete Employee Onboarding Checklist for an easy to reference guide you can start using today.

5 Creative New Hire Orientation Ideas 

Socializing and bonding with colleagues boosts engagement sevenfold. Keeping your onboarding process engaging and innovative will help motivate your employees and leave a lasting impression. 

Here are 5 new hire orientation ideas to help new hires feel welcomed and integrated.

1. Icebreaker Activities

Whether you go for a round of ‘Two Truths and a Lie’, Bingo, or ‘Would You Rather’, icebreaker activities get newbies introduced to the dynamic side of your company and help them feel more comfortable from the start. Icebreakers help new hires grow a sense of fun, connect with teammates, and ultimately settle into their company role better, feeling a sense of comradery early on.

Personality quizzes are another go-to option during new hire orientation and onboarding. They are an automated and innovative way to reveal both a new hire’s character and their skills. 

2. Gamification & Healthy Competition

Gamified activities have been shown to boost workplace engagement by 48%. By infusing an interactive element into your onboarding program, you help employee plug in to the experience and have a bit of fun along the way. 

A few gamification ideas to include throughout this stage include:  

• A digital scavenger hunt 
• Awarding badges and points
• Keeping leaderboards, milestone boards, and competitive scoreboards

Introducing gamification during new hire orientation will enhance employee productivity, creativity, and innovation. It will also make it easier for new hires to master the software and tech you use on a daily basis.

3. Introduce Guest Speakers

Inviting guest speakers during orientation can help your new staff get a first hand sense of what life at your organization is like and get on board with your company communication style.

Ideally, you want to include speakers from all hires’ teams and departments. Divide speaking sessions into shorter segments to help maintain engagement and retain knowledge. For efficiency’s sake, the sessions should only be held with relevant hires and not take longer than 30 minutes each.

As for remote new hires, you can set up virtual chats with Senior Leaders or provide a live link to in-person sessions.

4. Plan Time for Entertainment Sessions

Happy hour breaks, in-nature luncheons, trivia quizzes, and ping-pong sessions will certainly kick your new hire orientation up a notch. 

At the end of the day, as much as new hires want to perform well, they also want to reduce stress and pressure and enjoy themselves. Show them that you work in great spirits and also mind the mental health of employees. 

5. The Power of Welcome Kits

Today, welcome kits are almost essential during new hire orientation and feature everything a new hire might need — at the office and outside it. Water bottles, gym passes, T-shirts, vouchers, gift cards, and notebooks are just some of the items found in modern welcome kits. 

Offering personalized welcome kits shows your appreciation, drives culture, and infuses excitement into the onboarding process.

Make a Lasting Impression With a Winning New Hire Orientation

New hire orientation is a critical time to equip employees with the tools and information they need to thrive in their new role. By investing in a thoughtful, consistent, and well rounded orientation, you can help reduce turnover and boost employee engagement and productivity.

Automating the onboarding process not only saves HR from the time-consuming and error-prone manual tasks of orientation, but helps new hires receive a consistent and comprehensive onboarding experience for the best possible outcome.

Omni’s highly customizable HR software features bespoke onboarding practices for every stage of the onboarding cycle, including orientation. Discover a variety of easy to use and replicate templates and share information better, welcome new hires faster, and track every step of the process.

To learn more about how Omni can help drive impressions and revolutionize your onboarding experience, book a demo with our team.

For more actionable tools, download our free Onboarding Kit for Company Culture for easy-to-use checklists and expert tips that will take your onboarding to the next level.

Onboarding is a crucial time for both employees and the companies that hire them. As your new hire’s first introduction into your organization, it’s important that their onboarding process — and the onboarding documents you provide — is informative, cohesive, and engaging. 

A strong onboarding process can increase new hire retention by 82% and improve productivity by 70%. Here, we’ll cover why onboarding documents for new hires are important to the onboarding process, as well as which onboarding documents are essential for a comprehensive onboarding experience.

The Importance of Onboarding Documents  

Onboarding documents provide the necessary information required for employees to gain a well-rounded understanding of your company culture, rules and expectations, and overall direction for their new role. When done well, onboarding documents serve as guideposts during the initial weeks of a new hire’s experience, and can be used as reference points throughout their time at your company.

Additionally, onboarding documents provide documentation for HR teams to easily track the training employees have received, as well as reference during performance reviews, 1-on-1 meetings, or in the event of a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).

8 Onboarding Documents For a Comprehensive Experience

With an average of 41 administrative tasks assigned to incoming employees, there’s seemingly no limit to the number of onboarding documents for new hires. Yet, there are some essential onboarding documents that simply need to be included in your onboarding process in order to adequately prepare your new employees. These 8 onboarding documents will equip employees with the tools and information they need to thrive in their new role.

Onboarding Checklist

A useful tool for both employees and the HR teams conducting the onboarding process, onboarding checklists provide a clear roadmap of what’s to come as well as the tasks needed to complete. 

Onboarding checklists help to ensure that your onboarding process is consistent for every new hire, bringing a uniform approach to guarantee every new hire is provided the same onboarding documents and tools to start their journey. 

Omni’s free employee onboarding checklist offers 3 checklists, one for new hires, one for HR teams, and one for managers, helping each stakeholder in the onboarding process to stay on track with actionable steps, best practices, and tools to offer a memorable onboarding experience. 

Organizational Chart

Organization charts — or org charts — are a great tool among onboarding documents to orient new hires to the structure of your company and their respective team. Not only does this help new hires get acquainted with their colleagues, making it easier to learn new names and faces, but brings clarity when questions of who to report to or ask about certain tasks arise. 

Creating a static org chart presents its challenges, as roles and employees change within your organization, an org chart created in say, a PDF form, will require consistent updates and runs the risk of being out of date. 

Digital org charts, such as Omni’s automated company directory, helps organizations easily stay up to date as things shift within your growing organization. Built in one centralized location, HR teams needn’t worry about getting the latest version of an organizational chart out to their employees, as updates made will automatically be available to employees. Whatsmore, digital org charts allow for a wide range of information to be available, such as email and Slack contacts, employee time and attendance, and even important dates such as birthdays and work anniversaries for added company culture and engagement.

Company Code of Conduct

Your company code of conduct outlines the behaviors and actions that are permissible within your company. These onboarding documents help give employees a sense of what is expected (as well as what to avoid) during their tenure at your company. Codes of conduct also help mitigate any misunderstandings or potential behavioral issues before they arise among employees. 

To get your started, here’s a list of information you should include in your company code of conduct:

• workplace behavior
• company values and mission
• dress code
• policies regarding conflicts of interest
• confidentiality
• use of company resources
• industry compliance and regulations
• disciplinary actions

Brand Guidelines

Among onboarding documents, this one may not seem applicable to every department. Brand guidelines may seem more suited for the marketing department than, say, engineering or legal, but brand guidelines can act as a north star to further convey your company’s mission and values. While every department may not directly reference your brand guidelines on a regular basis, these onboarding documents bring a sense of cohesion to your organization. Ensuring each employee and new hire understands the tone and purpose behind your messaging creates a united culture that will benefit your company.

Your brand guidelines should contain the following elements:

• Brand proposition – what is the goal of your company, and what value do you bring to your customers?
• Verbal identity and brand voice – how do you communicate with your customers? What is the feeling and persona your company embodies?
• Core values – what are the guiding principles of your company?
• Logo
• Typefaces
• Color palette

Benefits and Compensation

Employee benefits are a huge driver for attracting and retaining talent, so once you have hired an employee it’s equally important to make their benefits and compensation information readily available to them. Onboarding documents should include clear and easily referenced benefits information such as time off policies, healthcare information, bonus schedules (if applicable), and wellness programs. 

Making this information available to your employees not only reduces the burden on HR teams, ending the need for HR to answer questions around employee time off requests and other benefit concerns. It also helps drive home the value your organization adds to employees by virtue of working there.

Benefits administration is a time-consuming process for HR, yet brings immense value to employees. Incorporating an automated benefits management system such as leave management can free up HR and management’s time as well as streamline benefits access for employees. Omni’s all-in-one HR platform allows employees to easily and quickly access their benefits while enabling HR teams to manage and oversee employee benefit and compensation practices like payroll in one centralized location. 

Looking for additional help in your benefits management? Download Omni’s free Employee Time-off Request Form for an easy to use manual system to help track time off requests.

Employee Handbook

As an integral component of a successful onboarding program with comprehensive onboarding documents, employee handbooks provide essential information and direction to welcome new hires, and serve as an easy-to-reference guide throughout the employee lifecycle.

Employee handbooks are a great way to compile various onboarding documents, from codes of conduct to benefit information, into one central document for easy reference and administration. 

Omni’s Ultimate Employee Handbook Template offers a comprehensive overview of what to include in your employee handbook and suggested slides to communicate your employee culture and company values, along with best practices and tips for how to effectively write your handbook and even real-life examples and graphics to inspire your creative process.

Training and Development Materials

Just because you hired someone with a strong skill set doesn’t mean they won’t require training to get acquainted with their role. Whether it be training materials for your company software or development in their respective field, offering onboarding documents that support a new hire training plan promotes continual growth that is essential to their success. 

Some common training and development materials to consider offering are:

• presentations
• procedure documents
• handouts and manuals
• training videos
• activity sheets or exercises
• courses
• forms and self-assessments

OKRs

Objectives and key results (OKRs), are a goal-setting framework touted by some of the biggest companies (notably in tech), including Google. OKRs are a simple and effective way to get an entire organization on the same page, and work towards achieving a common set of objectives. OKRs are specifically designed to focus efforts, and generate collective goal achievements so organizations can effectively advance to their most important objectives.

For a roadmap on how to effectively set and track OKRs, read our go-to guide for OKR goal setting, complete with specific examples and formulas for you to follow.

Transform Your Onboarding Experience

The onboarding process can make or break your employee experience. In addition to offering comprehensive onboarding documents for your employees, it’s imperative that you have a consistent and structured onboarding process.

Omni’s fully automated platform is the go-to solution for modern, growing businesses seeking a reliable employee onboarding system. By automating manual onboarding tasks, Omni saves you time and effort, allowing you to focus on more strategic aspects of your business. 

With Omni, you can easily collect and manage all the necessary onboarding documents in one secure location, eliminating the hassle of sifting through paperwork. But it doesn’t stop there — Omni goes the extra mile by enabling you to fully personalize the onboarding experience. With our customer care supported implementation process, you can tap into increased engagement levels for your new hires, setting the stage for their long-term success within your organization while receiving world-class support from our attentive support team.

Book a demo with our team today to learn how Omni can help transform your onboarding experience.

For additional tools to support your new hire experience, check out some of our free onboarding documents for new hires such as The Comprehensive 30-60-90 Day Plan or our Onboarding Kit for Company Culture.

Picture this: a new employee walks into your office on their first day, brimming with excitement and eager to contribute. How do you ensure their transition into your company is smooth, engaging, and sets the foundation for long-term success? That’s precisely where exceptional employee onboarding demonstrates its value. 

From tech giants like Google and Microsoft to disruptive innovators such as Airbnb and Netflix, companies have distinguished themselves and risen above their competition through offering the best employee onboarding experience possible. Their employee onboarding examples serve as a guide for organizations who wish to engage their workforce and promote an award-winning culture.

These companies and others have set a high bar by creating immersive experiences that embrace their unique cultures, encourage collaboration, and empower new hires to contribute their best work, while being set up to maintain success down the road.

A well-designed onboarding program sets the foundation for a strong and thriving workforce, ensuring that new hires feel valued, supported, and equipped to make a meaningful impact from day one.

What is an Onboarding Experience and Why Does It Matter?

Before we dive into employee onboarding examples, it’s important to understand exactly why a great onboarding experience is so important.

Employee onboarding refers to the process of integrating new hires into your organization, helping them acclimate to their roles, team dynamics, and company culture. It’s much more than just paperwork and orientation sessions — well-designed onboarding experiences set the stage for long-term success. 

Whether in person or done remotely, proper onboarding will help foster a sense of belonging, accelerate productivity, and create a positive impression that can influence employee engagement and retention.

What Makes the Best Employee Onboarding Experience?

While every company and the culture they create is unique (and requires a tailored onboarding strategy), there are some best practices you can follow to offer an effective experience. These key elements offer employee onboarding examples and characteristics that go beyond administrative tasks and embrace a holistic approach that combines the following elements:

Comprehensive Orientation

Start with a thorough introduction to company values, mission, and culture. This is your chance to introduce your new candidate to the spirit of your organization, and gives them a sense of how they’ll fit into the overall structure.

Clear Expectations

This is where you should offer transparent communication regarding their role, responsibilities, and performance expectations. Clarity is essential here — you’re setting the stage for their ongoing performance expectations.

Supportive Mentoring

Assigning mentors or buddies to guide new hires and provide ongoing support is a great way to kick off a sense of camaraderie and give your new hire a chance to get a real slice of life at your company from an experienced coworker.

Engaging Training

In addition to less formal, on-the-job experience, offering structured training programs will help new employees develop necessary skills and knowledge.

Personal Connection

Beyond mentorship, create opportunities for new hires to build relationships with colleagues and stakeholders. This could be as simple as helping them book 1-on1s, or remind them of upcoming social events. 

Continuous Feedback

As they’re settling in, prepare your new candidate for their schedule of regular check-ins and feedback sessions to ensure alignment and course-correct if performance tweaks are needed.

Meaningful Involvement

Helping new hires feel they’re able to meaningfully contribute early will pay dividends down the road. Look to provide meaningful projects or tasks that allow new hires to contribute from day one.

Evaluation and Growth

Establish a framework for assessing progress, identifying growth opportunities, and career development. Showing your new hires you’re thinking about how to develop their skills down the road will have a positive impact on their motivation moving forward.

With these elements in mind, let’s take a look at 10 employee onboarding examples from companies that have set a high standard for offering the best employee onboarding experience.

10 Best Employee Onboarding Experience Examples

1. Google

Onboarding Process and Practices: Google is well known for its comprehensive onboarding program. New hires participate in an incredibly thorough orientation that offers deep insight into the company’s mission, values, and culture. 

They are also assigned a “buddy” who serves as a mentor, guiding them through their first weeks. Google emphasizes opportunities for new hires to jump into meaningful projects right off the bat, and encourages open communication channels with managers and colleagues.

What’s Unique: Google’s onboarding experience stands out for its emphasis on fostering a sense of community and driving innovation. Google incorporates an abundance of team-building activities, encourages collaboration, and provides access to resources that support continuous learning and development.

2. AirBnb

Onboarding Process and Practices: Rather than take a “one-size-fits-all” approach, Airbnb focuses on creating a personalized onboarding experience, in an effort to deepen immersion. They provide new hires with a detailed pre-boarding package that includes information about the company’s mission, core values, and the onboarding process. 

Once onboard, employees engage in a comprehensive orientation, receive mentorship from experienced team members, and are given ongoing training materials so they can continue to grow independently in their first few weeks.

What’s Unique: Airbnb’s onboarding process is defined by its emphasis on cultural immersion. New hires are encouraged to experience the company’s core values firsthand through unique experiences, such as staying at an Airbnb listing. This helps employees understand the company’s mission while building relationships with colleagues and having a fun time doing it.

3. Netflix

Onboarding Process and Practices: Netflix offers a unique onboarding experience centered around its culture of freedom and responsibility. New hires receive an extensive welcome package that includes a handbook explaining the company’s values, culture, and expectations. 

They are encouraged to take ownership of their learning and contribute from day one. Netflix focuses on building a culture of continuous feedback and learning through open communication channels and regular check-ins.

What’s Unique: Netflix’s onboarding approach is characterized by its emphasis on employee autonomy and trust. The company values a culture of freedom and responsibility, allowing new hires to contribute their unique perspectives and ideas without excessive bureaucracy.

4. Microsoft

Onboarding Process and Practices: Where newer disruptors offer a process built on individualism and autonomy, Microsoft prioritizes a comprehensive and structured onboarding process. New hires are provided with a personalized onboarding plan that includes a series of training modules tailored to their roles. 

They receive support from mentors and have access to an extensive library of resources. Microsoft also emphasizes cross-team collaboration and encourages new hires to network with colleagues.

What’s Unique: Microsoft’s onboarding process stands out for its emphasis on career development. The company offers various development programs, including mentorship initiatives, skills training, and networking opportunities, in an effort to support new hires in their professional growth within the organization.

5. Salesforce

Onboarding Process and Practices: Salesforce focuses on creating an engaging and supportive onboarding experience for its employees. In addition to learning about their core values and culture, new hires participate in a structured orientation program that introduces them to the company’s technology and product offerings. 

Then, new employees are paired with mentors who provide guidance and support throughout their onboarding journey. Salesforce also is well known for offering comprehensive, ongoing training and development opportunities to help employees continue to develop in their role and career with Salesforce.

What’s Unique: Salesforce provides an onboarding experience characterized by its commitment to employee success and well-being. The company prioritizes a culture of inclusivity and provides resources for new hires to navigate their career paths within the organization.

6. HubSpot

Onboarding Process and Practices: Taking the importance of first impressions seriously, HubSpot places emphasis on creating a positive and engaging onboarding experience. New hires are assigned a buddy who serves as a mentor and guide during their initial weeks at HubSpot. 

The company offers a comprehensive orientation program that covers not only the company’s mission and values but also provides insights into the industry and market trends. HubSpot encourages new hires to take ownership of their learning by providing access to a wealth of resources, training materials, and online courses. They also emphasize building connections with colleagues through team-building activities and networking events.

What’s Unique: HubSpot’s onboarding process stands out for its focus on rapidly developing the knowledge and skills of its new hires. The company provides ongoing support and encourages continuous learning, enabling employees to excel in their roles and contribute to the company’s success.

7. Zappos

Onboarding Process and Practices: Zappos is well known for its distinct and immersive onboarding experience. New hires go through a detailed training program that covers Zappos’ exceptional customer service philosophy. They also spend time working in different departments to gain a holistic understanding of the organization. Zappos fosters a supportive and inclusive environment, encouraging open communication and collaboration.

What’s Unique: Zappos’ onboarding experience is characterized by its emphasis on creating a positive work environment and customer-centric culture. The company works exceptionally hard to instill its core values in new hires, ensuring they embody the Zappos spirit in every interaction, both internally and with customers.

8. Adobe

Onboarding Process and Practices: Similar to Microsoft, Adobe opts for a structured and personalized onboarding experience to new employees. They offer a comprehensive orientation program that familiarizes new hires with the company’s products, services, and culture. 

Like most companies on this list, Adobe assigns mentors to guide new employees through their initial weeks, providing support and answering any questions they may have. Additionally, the company encourages ongoing learning through training resources and development opportunities.

What’s Unique: Adobe’s onboarding process stands out for its focus on creativity and innovation. The company fosters a culture that celebrates individuality and encourages employees to bring their unique perspectives and ideas to the table, ultimately driving innovation within the organization.

9. LinkedIn

Onboarding Process and Practices: LinkedIn places a strong emphasis on creating a positive and inclusive onboarding experience. New hires go through an extensive orientation program that covers LinkedIn’s culture, values, and expectations. 

The company provides opportunities for new employees to network with colleagues, participate in cross-functional projects, and engage in ongoing learning and development activities. In their onboarding, LinkedIn also encourages open communication and feedback, ensuring that new hires feel supported and well set up for success.

What’s Unique: LinkedIn’s onboarding experience is characterized by its focus on professional networking and career development. The company encourages employees to leverage the power of the LinkedIn platform to build their professional networks and create opportunities for growth and advancement.

10. Atlassian

Onboarding Process and Practices: Atlassian is committed to providing a comprehensive and engaging onboarding experience. New hires undergo a thorough orientation program that introduces them to Atlassian’s values, products, and collaborative culture. 

The company fosters a sense of community by assigning mentors to new employees and facilitating connections with colleagues. Atlassian also encourages ongoing learning and provides resources for professional development.

What’s Unique: Atlassian’s onboarding process stands out for its emphasis on teamwork and collaboration. The company encourages employees to work together, share knowledge, and leverage their diverse skills to drive innovation and work towards collective success.

Offer the Best Employee Onboarding Experience and Inspire Success With Omni

Whether it’s Google’s focus on community and innovation, Airbnb’s cultural immersion approach, or Netflix’s emphasis on freedom and responsibility, these employee onboarding examples have demonstrated the importance of creating an onboarding experience that aligns with their values and engages new hires from the start.

As you set out to improve your own employee onboarding process, take inspiration from these examples and think about how you can incorporate elements such as personalized welcome packages, comprehensive orientations, mentorship programs, ongoing feedback channels, and opportunities for collaboration. Tailor these practices to your organization’s unique culture and industry, ensuring your new hires feel supported, connected, and equipped to make a meaningful impact.

But you don’t need to do it alone. With Omni’s comprehensive onboarding checklist, we’ll guide you through the key steps and best practices you need to follow to create the best employee onboarding experiences for your new hires. Our guide ensures you’ll be well-equipped to design an onboarding program that puts your new hires on the path for long-term success.

Ready to set the new high bar for employee onboarding experience?