Who is this article for?
Organization leaders and ops managers needing guidance and best practices for onboarding new employees.
Onboarding is an integral part of the hiring and recruitment process. It involves helping new hires acclimate, adapt, and integrate into a new organization and working environment. It includes initial orientation processes and learning about the organization's culture, vision, mission, and values.
According to research, 23% of new hires with poor onboarding experiences leave in the first year. Gallup’s study showed that only 12% of employees felt that their company did a good job with onboarding, and a mere 29% felt supported to excel in their new role. To ensure employee success and the retention of quality employees, organizations need to have an effective onboarding strategy and system in place.
Benefits
- Boosts employee retention and loyalty
- A great onboarding process will help your employees get off to a good start, setting the tone and aiding in future success.
- Foster belonging and inclusion in an organization
- Strengthen company culture
- Attract top talent
- New hires who experience a significant onboarding period will likely talk about it to their friends and family and post their experiences online.
- Reduce costs of turnover
- The cost per hire in the US is $4,219, and it takes 42 days to fill a position, according to SHRM.
Best practices
Start the process early
- Onboarding should begin even before the new hire’s official start date
- As soon as a contract is signed, send a welcome email that contains the onboarding schedule, what to expect, the agenda on the first day, and other essential matters.
Begin administrative tasks
- It is more efficient and beneficial if the new hire doesn’t start their first day filling out forms. Include paperwork such as government forms, tax forms, noncompete or nondisclosure agreements, and employee handbook acknowledgment forms that can be filled out and signed before their first day.
- Ask them for bank account details for payroll processing
- Ask them to sign up for any accounts online and download the necessary tools and software for their role (Slack, project management, company app, etc.).
Involve other team members
- Creating an onboarding system isn’t just the HR department’s job. It’s a collaborative effort between other employees, particularly those who will work more closely with the new hire.
- Having other team members conduct onboarding sessions can help new employees feel comfortable and connected to the company.
Assign a buddy
- Assign or ask a more seasoned employee to be a resource that the new hire can turn to ask questions to or talk with during their first weeks/months on the job.
- Have the buddy conduct regular check-ins with the new hire
- It’s best if it’s not someone with a position of direct authority concerning the new hire.
Set a reasonable pace
- The length of the onboarding period is dependent on many factors in an organization. Onboarding is not a quick one-day process but a much longer journey.
- For instance, new-hire orientation can be done over the first few days or weeks. This time can be information overload for the new employee, so keeping pace while delivering critical information for job success on the front end is essential.
- Additionally, new employees typically take around 12 months to reach their full performance potential within a role, it’s best to continue giving ongoing support and check-ins during their first year in the organization.
Stay true to your company culture
- Craft your onboarding materials and activities according to your company culture and values.
- It’s best to provide immersive experiences during onboarding, going beyond a regular PowerPoint presentation.
Have regular check-ins with the new hire
- Onboarding is a long journey, so it’s best to schedule weekly/monthly/quarterly check-ins with the new hire to see how they are and if they’re comfortable and happy.
- Acknowledge any wins they have experienced during the period, and let them ask questions about anything they’re unclear about in the job.
- Check-ins are also a great way to solicit feedback on the onboarding process.
Provide opportunities for social interaction
- It’s not enough for you to introduce the new hire during a Monday meeting to the rest of the team. Introduce them to teammates who may share similar interests, or encourage them to participate in company culture-building activities in the future.
Be flexible and patient
- While it’s great to have a structured onboarding strategy/process/schedule, it’s essential to be ready for any unforeseen situations that may come your way.
- Be ready to pivot or have alternative schedules ready.
- Additionally, the new hire won’t immediately get your company culture, or won’t be perfect in their job on day Have patience and guide them, without micromanaging them in the process.
Revisit your onboarding process
- Update your strategy when necessary from the feedback gathered from new hires and people involved in the process.