How to make employee onboarding a guaranteed success

Employee onboarding is the process of providing a new employee with the tools and information needed to integrate them into your business. It covers not only the practical steps like meeting the team and gaining access to the various systems your company utilizes, it can also set expectations and provide a cultural introduction to your company.

Make them feel welcome

The first day at a new job can be intimidating for even the most confident among us. Having an organized step-by-step process in place for your new hire will help integrate them into the team.

The process should make your new hire feel comfortable, and they will feel empowered by being given the information they need to start their new role.

Show your company in the best light

An organized approach to employee onboarding shows that you value your employees and want to settle new hires into the business with minimal disruption.

I’ve certainly had the experience of turning up for a new job where half the office doesn’t even know that you are due to start, the person who hired you isn’t around and no one knows what you should be doing.

All you seem to be doing is waiting around feeling awkward.

It then takes the best part of the week to get you set up with the equipment and credentials you need and before you know it, its Friday before any work is completed!

It doesn’t make you feel valued as an employee and puts the company in a bad light.

Compliance

I’ve also been on the other side of the employee onboarding process, as the HR manager for a company. I was responsible for ensuring employment contracts and other documents were issued, signed, and returned and when you are working with a large number of staff keeping track of this can be a challenge.

And then would come the annual audit.

You could guarantee the one contract the auditors were looking to check was the one that hadn’t been returned.

By having a process in place that can be easily monitored and that doesn’t rely on hard copies of any paperwork, your audit and compliance requirements should be easily met.

Employee Retention

A study by Glassdoor found that organizations with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82 percent and productivity by over 70 percent. (Research Brief — The True Cost of a Bad Hire — 2015 Brandon Hall Group. Licensed for Distribution by Glassdoor.)

First impressions make such a difference. If you feel valued and integrated into the team, you are more likely to want to stay part of that team.

The quicker employees can be given the tools needed to do the job they have been employed to do, the sooner their productivity and inclusivity can explode.

I’m not surprised by these statistics, it makes sense.

To onboard, or not to onboard?

Creating an onboarding process that works for your company should be an easy decision.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, I would recommend keeping it as simple as possible. Make sure first impressions count and let your employees unlock their full potential.

Please note the information presented on this website is provided as a general guide and is not a substitute for legal or tax advice. For specific advice, be sure to consult with a qualified professional.