When it’s time to hire new employees and make them part of the business, the responsibility can feel overwhelming. It is no easy feat to train new employees, track their progress, and retain them as valuable members of staff. The process of onboarding itself involves the various activities that help new employees to integrate into the organisation while also learning more about the business they have become part of. To help this process go smoothly and to ensure that new employees feel at home and stay in their role, it’s vital that you put effort into this area of business for the benefit of the whole team and your goals.
Therefore, your team needs to understand the bigger picture before they can focus on performing to their fullest potential. You can also utilize HR software solutions that can be tailored to match the distinctive style of your brand. One such solution is SenseHR which, for instance, provides the flexibility to choose an appropriate color scheme that creates a cohesive visual experience for all elements of your interface, such as the menu bar, on-screen buttons, fonts, and background colors. It also will allow you to handle various aspects of employee management, such as data, expenses, benefits, recruitment, onboarding, training, absence, workloads, performance, and other related tasks.
Important to mention that the company’s success is not solely determined by the product’s quality but also by the collaboration with the employees.
In this article we will consider why onboarding is so important, and how you can make it a success, as well as the software tools that are available to assist you.
The Onboarding Checklist for Success
The fact is, onboarding is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. It’s not an option, it’s vital to success. It’s not just for new starters but is an ongoing process that benefits the whole team of staff. This basic onboarding checklist will help you to get started:
1. Do the paperwork and get them to the right department.
Paperwork may not be the most enjoyable pastime, but it’s key to the success of the whole process. New hires can fill out their new hire forms early on and get them out of the way so they can be sent straight through to the HR department to handle.
2. Make new hires comfortable on the first day.
A new employee’s first day is the first step in their new adventure, and you want it to go as smoothly as possible. Before they start, send a warm welcome email with all of the important details they will need. Don’t leave anything to guesswork as this will just add anxiety for the new starter. Clarify details like the start date, time, and location. Let them know the dress code, the details for their point of contact, the documents they should bring and what they can expect to do on their first day.
3. Get new starters set up.
Make sure that things are in pace for new hires to be able to access the hardware and software they need to do their job. Before their first day, ensure that the IT team has everything prepared. From the off, encourage the best practises for security and create training documents for new hires so they know how to use the software.
4. Take them for a tour.
A site tour helps new starters get their bearings of the workplace and if the building is a bigger one, have a map on hand for them to keep so that they can go back to this when they need to get somewhere or contact someone. (A digital map is a great idea as they can keep this on their phone!) After settling them in their work area with the equipment they need, help them know the other areas of the building they will need.
5. Help them get to know the team.
While the team just has one new name and face to remember, your new starter has a lot more to learn and remember. Socialisation is vital for new hires settling in so introduce them to their team, their leaders, and their seniors. Assign a personal mentor so that the new hire has a person they can turn to as they get settled in. You can even set aside time for more relaxed socialisation with ice breaker games to make ones feel comfortable. What you decide to do may depend in the size of your company, your budget and available resources so just do the best you can with what you have.
The Importance of Onboarding
Now you realise just how much work is involved, is it really worth the investment? The fact is that onboarding is more important now than ever. It helps employees acclimate to their new role, understand the philosophies of the company and what they have to offer. It helps workers feel connecting to the business and their goals and when they are committed in this way, it helps to retain new hires and makes them feel like a valuable member of the team. As time goes on, employees need to be checked on regularly, even to the point of following a yearlong strategy to help the newest members of the team feel part of the family.
The current rate of employment is at an all-time low. While a good onboarding experience has far reaching benefits, a poor onboarding experience promotes disconnection and disloyalty in the workplace. These feelings lead to an increase in staff turnover and therefore the hiring expenses, along with a decline in productivity and total revenue. Therefore, it is worth avoiding a bad onboarding experience at all costs, for the sake of the whole business.
The Software Tools to Help You Succeed
Fortunately, in this modern age of technology, you are not left alone in the onboarding process. There is a variety of tools and resources available to help you make it a success and quickly make new starters feel at home. A great asset is that of employee onboarding software. These systems vastly speed up the onboarding process without compromising on quality. With these powerful tools in your arsenal, you will succeed in building a workforce that is strong, successful, and well qualified. It will help new employees to quickly feel connected and have access to all the information they need as they adjust to their new role and organisation.
Evidently, onboarding is essential. However, as you keep your goals in mind, you can follow the onboarding checklist to make sure that no key aspects are forgotten about. You can use technology and software to assist you throughout the process and you will retain your new starters while also providing a warm and enjoyable atmosphere for your workers to learn and thrive.
