Onboarding new employees
What is the onboarding process?
Although onboarding is unique to every organisation, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with what is generally required before planning your own.
Employee onboarding can involve:
- On-the-job and/or formal training
- Familiarisation with workplace culture, values and policies
- Offering perks and other incentives to keep new employees interested from day one
- Introduction to other team members, line manager and other departments if necessary
- Creation of a development plan
The onboarding process may continue for several months before an employee is settled in your company. During this time, they can get to know their team and how their workflow fits in with your overall business.
How to create an effective onboarding process
- Get ahead and start the onboarding process before your new employee arrives. Can you provide them with any helpful information before their first day?
- It’s important that your new hire understands the company, team and their role. Try creating resources they can refer back to and introducing them to key members of the organisation.
- Ensure that new employees understand their responsibilities, performance expectations and how their work contributes to the success of the organisation. This will help them to get off to a positive start in their role and avoid misunderstandings.
- Equip your starter with the necessary tools, resources and training to perform their tasks effectively. Try to cover all aspects of the role or introduce new tasks and training gradually if there is a lot to learn.
- Ensure that new employees feel comfortable asking questions and building relationships with their colleagues by creating an inclusive environment.
- Regularly check in with new hires to ensure they are adapting well to their role and to answer any questions they may have. This will help you ensure that you have not missed any training needs and that they are able to perform their role to the best of their ability.
- Technology can streamline the onboarding process and make resources and information more accessible to new hires – can you store resources in a cloud-based location or use other efficiency tools?
- Ask for feedback from new employees regularly to identify areas for improvement. The best way to optimise your onboarding process is to tailor it to what your real employees need!
- Acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of new hires to reinforce their contributions and build morale. Don’t forget that new employees are assessing whether they want to stay in the role, too. It’s important to make them feel valued right from the start so that they want to work for you.
Why onboarding matters for retention
Employees are more likely to feel valued and supported if they have a positive onboarding experience, and developing a sense of belonging and addressing potential issues during onboarding can greatly reduce employee turnover.
A positive onboarding experience can lead to higher employee engagement, as new hires feel connected to the company and their work. By providing them with a clear understanding of their responsibilities and role, they will be able to contribute more effectively from the start, boosting their morale and supporting your business. By cementing this good feeling through acknowledging and celebrating their achievements, you are reinforcing the value of their contributions and encouraging them to giving your business the best they have to offer.
Onboarding is also a key opportunity to instil your company culture and values so that your new employee understands and aligns with the organisation’s mission and goals.