How to Onboard New Hires

How to onboard new hires

Did you just add a new hire to your team or company? Perhaps you must have invested a lot of resources to make sure you hire the right person. It is important that you learn how to onboard new hires to ensure your investments do not go to waste.

The aim of bringing new members to a team or company is to boost productivity, thereby increasing profit for the organization.

Therefore, one way to accomplish this is by implementing a good onboarding program.

What Is An Onboarding Program?

Developing an employee onboarding program

You want your new employee to start off on the right foot.

You want to give him every tool, information, and education he needs so he or she can be effective and productive right from the beginning of his employment with your organization.

There is, however, a need for a strong staff onboarding plan to help you make this possible.

Onboarding an employee refers to the support and assistance you give a new hire to help him develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and commitment he needs to be a success in his job.

Why should you be interested in implementing an employee onboarding guide for your new hires?

Benefits Of An Effective Employee Onboarding Guide

Elements of an effective employee onboarding program

An onboarding planning tool gives you the following advantages:

It Is An Effective Tool For Attracting And Keeping Top Talent.

Onboarding an employee

A company is only as good as its people.

It is not surprising that companies try to do everything they can to attract and retain promising and top-performing individuals to join their teams.

Most companies try to attract the best employees by offering attractive salaries and perks.

What some companies fail to realize is that while it is easy to get people to join your organization, it may not be just as easy to get them to stay.

Employees tend to stick around for intangible reasons.

A flourishing company culture, strong leadership, support from management, and good rapport with the other people in the organization are some examples of why an employee would want to stay with a company.

Also, you can use an awesome staff onboarding plan as a foundation for these intangible elements – and use that for attracting top talent and making them stay with you.

It Is An Effective Means For Engaging Employees From The Get-Go.

How can an onboarding_orientation process benefit the organization and the employee_

Invest in an onboarding planning tool that is not only well thought out and educational but fun and appealing as well.

It is one of the most powerful means to foster engagement and sustain it in the future.

It Helps Foster Business Growth.

Proper onboarding of an employee

Engagement is the conventional primary objective of almost all onboarding programs.

A good program supports a thriving work culture.

It helps to build a strong rapport.

Studies also indicate that a good onboarding program sustains business growth.

Employees who feel highly engaged with the organization they work for are likely to bring in better business.

It Helps Build Trust In The Organization.

How to send an employee to onboarding

A good onboarding program is an effective way of informing and educating new hires about the organization and its key organizational objectives.

It is an opportunity for the new employees to meet with the members of senior management, learn about the mission statement of the company, and become acquainted with the company culture.

It Is A Good Occasion To Build Connections.

How does onboarding impact the performance of an employee

Onboarding gives employees the opportunity to welcome new hires and initiate interpersonal connections.

Research suggests that the most engaged workers are those who have forged meaningful connections with the people they work with.

You can strengthen connections by implementing a buddy system.

Assign a buddy or mentor to a new hire to ease the first few days.

A mentor can serve as a resource person or a sounding board so that the new hire does not feel alone or confused, especially during her first month with the company.

It Encourages Open Communication.

What's required with onboarding an employee

It is natural for a new hire to feel a bit nervous or timid during his first few days.

He may want to ask questions or share his concerns, but may feel too intimidated to do so.

An onboarding program provides a forum so that the new hire gets the information he needs without the pressure.

It Reduces Employee Turnover.

How to create an employee onboarding program

Resignations bring down team morale.

A good onboarding program is one way of ensuring that new hires fit in right from the beginning.

It opens lines of communication.

It helps foster long-term employee engagement.

Onboarding an employee is your opportunity to make a really good impression on your new hire.

It is your chance to welcome him, to make him feel valued, and to prepare him to succeed in his new job.

The hiring process does not end once you have successfully recruited the right candidate.

Onboarding continues the recruitment process because it ensures the new hire is able to fulfill his role effectively.

It gives him all the support and resources he needs to enable him to do his job successfully.

When you have a good onboarding program in place, you make it easier for the new hire to fit in.

You increase the chances that he will stay on with the company.

 How to Onboard New Hires

What are the essential steps included in a new hire onboarding checklist?

1. Prepare For The New Employee To Join Your Team

Onboarding of an employee

-Give The New Hire Essential Information To Make His First Days At Work Easy.

Let him know about the dress code and what time he is expected to be at work.

Tell him about public transport options.

If he drives to work, tell him where he can park his car.

– Prepare His Work Station.

Your new hire will appreciate any assistance that will get him to a running start as soon as possible.

Help him establish an email account.

Give him a phone line.

Assign a suitable workspace for him.

– Help Him Understand His Role.

Things that should be included in an employee onboarding

Arrange for your new employee to attend the company’s orientation program in his first few days at work.

The program is a well-structured way for him to find out about what your company is all about – its mission, organization, values, products, and services.

If you don’t have such a program, arrange for an orientation discussion with HR or in your office.

– Have All The Critical Paperwork Ready.

You don’t want your new employee chasing manuals and forms on his first day at work.

Prepare what he needs ahead of time.

This includes orientation manuals, employee handbooks, tax forms, and other similar documents.

2. Make Him Feel Welcome During His First Day.

How to build an effective employee onboarding system

The first day should be a special day for your new employee.

  • Send a welcome email announcing the new hire to your team.
  • Inform your receptionist in advance so that she can greet the new employee warmly as soon as he arrives.
  • Make the proper introductions – to your team, as well as to key people in the organization.

It is a good idea to get the group together for a welcome coffee.

This is a chance for the new employee to meet the colleagues he will be working with, in future projects.

– Take Him Around The Workplace.

Show him where the essential places are – the stationery storeroom, the conference rooms, toilets, staff kitchen, and pantry.

Tell him about the places he can go to if he wants to take coffee or lunch.

3. Arrange For Mentoring Or Training.

Onboarding an employee best practices– Talk  About Responsibilities And Goals.

Communication is essential for making a good first impression.

Sit down with your new employee to tell him what his role in the organization is.

Ask him about his personal goals.

Exchange ideas about how the company can help him evolve in his role.

You will have discussed this during the hiring interviews.

However, the onboarding process is a good time to discuss expectations from the new hire and assignments in detail.

It is also important to talk about the company’s evaluation process or employee performance reviews.

– Talk About Training.

How can an effective onboarding process affect employee retention

Talk about the training opportunities available to your new hire as a member of your organization.

Ask him about the programs or conferences he is interested in to help him further develop his skills.

– Talk About Mentoring Opportunities.

Mentoring is a pivotal component if you want to retain top talent, build a positive work culture, and enhance team performance.

A mentor can provide guidance and invaluable inputs to a new employee.

He can also be a reliable sounding board if the new hire has ideas and concerns he wants to discuss.

4. Help Him Settle In.

Creating an employee onboarding program

A new hire checklist does not start and end with a new employee’s first day at work.

It can run for several months.

– Check-In Frequently.

Find out how the new employee is doing.

Plan to get together for regular catch-ups.

Provide platforms for your new employee to ask questions, voice out his concerns, and get feedback about his performance.

Assist him if he needs additional training.

– Give Recognition.

Giving recognition is an effective way of keeping employees engaged and motivated.

Celebrate your new hire’s successes.

Take note of his accomplishments during a team meeting.

5. Schedule Follow-Ups.

Importance of new employee onboarding in an organisation

When a new hire does well, you may not feel that he needs an evaluation.

Regardless of what you feel, schedule a follow-up.

Ask him how he is doing.

Get his feedback about the onboarding process.

What are the pros and cons of the process?

What changes should you make?

This is a good way to assess the onboarding process from the perspective of a new hire.

Tips About The Onboarding Process

New employee onboarding process

Here are some tips about the onboarding process for a new hire that you might find useful:

  • Use The Onboarding Process To Communicate The Firm’s Values, Norms, Unwritten Rules, And Everything Else That Help Create Its Identity.

A new employee is likely to become engaged when he understands and identifies with the company’s culture.

  • Prepare The Basic Work Necessities.

These include tools like IT access, access cards, a laptop, and a phone.

These include basic data about the firm like values, code of conduct, way of working, and company culture.

  • Consider Day 1 As Critical.

Onboarding process

You don’t want to waste time.

Of course, you want your new hire to be able to do the job you hired him for as quickly as possible.

You need a good onboarding program to help you accomplish this.

See to it that your program is well thought out, concise, and organized.

  • Don’t Make The First Day Oppressive.

Don’t overwhelm your new employee during his first day at work.

Some managers swamp their new hires with information and reading material.

Sometimes, they even make the new employees take home a load of paperwork to complete after the first day on the job.

Don’t make your new employee’s first day unpleasant.

It will sap out his excitement. It will make him think twice about working for your organization.

  • Nurture A Growth Mindset.

Onboarding process checklist

When you give out the first few assignments, make sure that they lead to your new employee’s success.

Initial achievements are likely to beget more achievements.

If you give your new hire all the assistance he needs to find early success, you help him build a growth mindset.

  • Don’t Underestimate The Value Of An Onboarding Team.

Create an onboarding team.

New hires are likely to appreciate a network of mentors who can guide them and offer vital advice and informal counsel.

  • Use The Onboarding Process For Talent Acquisition.

Research supports the claim that onboarding can make or break new hires.

Within the first 90 days, a new hire can embrace the company’s culture – and render valuable service for a good number of years.

On the other hand, a new employee can also become quite disillusioned with the company during the first 3 months and lose his motivation to stay with the firm.

  • Make Your New Hire Feel That He Belongs.

Onboarding process template

A new employee becomes engaged if he feels that he belongs.

A new hire is likely to feel excited about proving his worth.

If you ease his way in, he will be able to make worthwhile contributions quickly.

He will quickly feel that he belongs based on merit.

Effective onboarding requires you and your team to show your concern for the new hire not only on a professional level but on a personal plane, as well.

If you provide opportunities for fruitful encounters and meaningful relationships, your new employee will feel that he belongs in your network.

  • Always Think Of Your New Employee As An Important Member Of Your Team.

If you want a new employee to quickly reach his full potential, you need to make him realize his value to your team.

He needs to appreciate how he fits in.

He needs to feel that he belongs.

  • Engage The Whole Team In The Onboarding Process.

Employee onboarding process

Everybody has a role to play in the onboarding process of a new hire.

Everybody has responsibilities.

Get HR and the members of your team to appreciate how important they are for making successful onboarding possible.

  • Do Not Look At Onboarding As Synonymous To Orientation.

Onboarding goes well beyond informing the new hire about company policies, touring him around the facilities, and making department introductions.

It includes activities such as:

  • Training
  • Setting goals and milestones for the new employee
  • Providing support so that he can achieve full productivity
  • Increasing work satisfaction
  • Facilitating interpersonal connections

Onboarding a new hire is a holistic process.

It seeks to help the new employee achieve full integration into the company’s culture.

  • Don’t Cut Corners.

Onboarding process steps

Effective onboarding has a dramatic impact on work performance, job satisfaction, employee engagement, commitment, and retention.

Don’t settle for a token orientation and simply let your new hire dive headfirst into his new job.

When you do this, you are likely to face the following problems:

  • You make the adjustment period longer – and costly for the company.
  • The new employee will need more time to build competency and self-confidence.
  • You increase stress.
  • Job satisfaction becomes reduced.
  • You increase frustration.
  • You promote higher turnover rates and waste the effort and resources spent on recruiting top talent.
  • Don’t Hurry The Onboarding Process.

Onboarding process for new hires

Onboarding a new hire should always be an ongoing process.

This is because it may take a while for a new employee to figure out his role within the organization.

You should keep the onboarding process going until you see that your new employee has developed a feel for the firm and the confidence to step into his role.

  • Modify Your Onboarding Program As You See Fit.

If your organization changes and grows, then your onboarding program for new hires should do the same thing.

After a year or two, it may no longer make sense to have your new hires spend time going over the same old articles.

 Conclusion

New hire onboarding process

When an employee agrees to work with you, he has to start all over again.

Firstly, he needs to find how he will fit into your organization.

Secondly, he needs to develop new work relationships.

And thirdly, he needs to figure out how to do his job according to the company’s work standards.

An employee’s first few weeks at work will determine his outlook. It will set the tone for his relationship with your company.

Don’t allow your new employee to be on his own during this critical period.

Set a well-planned onboarding program in place. It will not only ease the new hire’s transition. It is also likely to result in a wide range of significant benefits.

Effective onboarding promotes a faster learning curve.

It brings about increased motivation and engagement.

It encourages employee retention.

Therefore, learning how to onboard new hires is not as simple as some people think it is.

However, if you do it right, you can set your new employee up to succeed in your organization.

Also, this will give your company a productive, high-performing, loyal, and happy employee.

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