Onboarding your new employees doesn’t need to be difficult. Strong, clear onboarding procedures can lead to improved employee retention and productivity. In a competitive market, anything you can do to help keep your employees motivated has got to be a win-win situation.
First impressions for your new employee are important. Set the right tone for the rest of their time with you.
Don’t be a disorganized organization that makes them feel undervalued from day one. Do give them the tools they need to exceed, make the experience positive, make them feel welcome.
Any time and effort at the start will be rewarded with a motivated productive response.
Ask your current employees what would have helped them when they joined your team, what worked well, what didn’t with the onboarding process they went through.
They are your greatest source of information in developing an onboarding process that works for your organization. They have been through it with the added benefit of knowing how your company works and what could be improved.
Be clear on the documentation you need to be completed by any new hire. Make sure they have access to a manager or HR representative to go through any questions they may have.
Ensure that documentation is up to date, completed, and logged, especially if your organization needs this for compliance purposes at a later date.
Make sure you keep track of the software and other systems you are granting access to for each employee. Whilst this is also important for compliance reasons, you will need to be sure which systems your employee has had access to should their employment status change in the future.
The last thing you need is for ex-employees to have access to sensitive information when they are no longer employed by your organization.
The same also applies to company assets. Maintaining a register of which assets are issued to which employee will help with compliance issues, off-boarding and maintenance during the employee's time with your organization.
Each organization is different and new hires can have a steep learning curve trying to keep up with how your organization operates. They will need to understand the various procedures you have in place and understand your key policies in relation to their employment.
Ensure that your onboard process gives them access to this information whilst giving them an idea of the culture of the company.
One bonus tip. Make day one count.
Onboarding is about giving your employee the tools they need to get on and do the job you hired them to do. The easier you make this for them, the quicker they will be up and running and adding to the productivity of your organization.
A clear, defined process to make them feel part of your team on day one.
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.