New employee onboarding is a practice employed by companies when assimilating a new employee into the team. While the onboarding process differs from industry, the main objective is to equip a new hire with the tools and information optimally. Numerous studies suggest that younger workers are more likely to change jobs multiple times throughout their careers, making employee retention a major challenge in today’s organizations.
A report by the Society for Human Resource Management asserted that bad onboarding experiences are among the major factors that make many new employees leave their new jobs before they get settled. During employee onboarding, a new employee receives the first picture of the company’s daily happenings as an official team member. It’s thus critical that the process be strategic, thorough, and very accommodating.
Onboarding Best Practices
Typically, the onboarding process lasts 30-90 days, but can be longer for some organizations. Human resource managers should handle the entire process strategically because the first few days and months are fundamental to ensuring a higher retention rate. A comprehensive onboarding process enables new hires to adapt to their duties and their new working environment seamlessly, which results in overall employee satisfaction, thus contributing to higher efficiency, better performance, and retention. On the other hand, poor onboarding can have many catastrophic effects, including damaging the company’s view, lower employee performance, productivity, and, eventually, higher turnover rates. Simply put, new hire onboarding best practices is a win-win for all stakeholders.
Yet, many companies still neglect to follow through with the entire onboarding plan diligently. The average cost to hire a new employee is $3,000 – $65,000, and it can take many months of full employment for the new hire to be fully productive. Poor onboarding will only make the company incur high costs and waste lots of time that would have otherwise been used elsewhere. Onboarding process steps utilize few resources and molds the employee to full efficiency in under three months; however, it’ll depend on the role’s intricacy.
Employee Onboarding Plan
Nonetheless, many HR managers are still trapped in the notion that the process is done once a new hire signs the contract. Many firms do not have a proper employee onboarding process and have reduced this crucial practice to a mere first-day introduction session and handing out a copy of the employee handbook.
With so much banking on each new employee’s success, all organizations must formalize their onboarding process to avert potential disaster. The use of a capable and talented management system during the onboarding process sends a strong hint to new hires that your company is devoted to retaining top talent. Experts suggest you begin the onboarding process once you’ve selected the right candidate for the position. A lot happens from the first day of employment to the end of the orientation process, usually a year later, depending on the position’s complexity. It’s best to introduce the new hire to other employees before their first day at work to avoid awkwardness and enhance an early team connection. Employing onboarding best practices ensures that the new hire is welcomed in a hospitable and appealing manner.
The first week should be spent helping the newcomer to adapt to the new environment, culture, and become fruitful in the shortest time possible. A one-on-one meeting should also be scheduled between the new employee and the executives, instrumental employees, immediate superiors, and supervisors. This meeting should be to articulate the primary goals and expectations of the employer from the employee. The new hire should also be given a chance to provide feedback on their observation of the company and their career goals. It’s best to do this part in an informal setting such as a welcome luncheon or any other planned event that can serve the purpose.
Employee Onboarding Checklist
Perfect onboarding begins when a candidate becomes an official member of a company to become productive. In the entire process, the most powerful tool that should not be overlooked is an employee onboarding checklist. The following onboarding checklist for managers is designed to create a formal, highly effective employee onboarding plan.
Get the Paperwork Ready
There’s so much to do on the first day of orientation, with the most part being taken up by the many documents the new employee has to fill out. Ensure all documents are ready, including contracts and agreements, new hire forms, tax documents, payroll information, various contracts and agreements, payroll and benefits information, and legal information. Print out the employee handbook and a description of the employer’s expectation of the position. Include a point of contact where the newcomer can get help and any information they may need.
Organize the Employee’s Workstation
Prepare the new employee’s workstation in accordance with health, safety, and comfort guidelines. Include all equipment, IT or otherwise, and supplies required for the job to avoid delays and inconveniences.
Day One of Onboarding
The first day is critical to setting up the pace for the new hire’s journey with your company. It can be helpful to create and share an agenda with the new employee and team. Tasks to be accomplished on the first day include:
- Insist on the importance of the company culture. Instilling company culture in new employees ensures that they employ it in their decision-making process.
- Link them to a point person whom they can talk to when in doubt.
- Introduction to their immediate team. The sooner they connect, the better for the company.
First Week of Onboarding
This is how the new employee first-week schedule template can help out:
- Introducing new hires to the main stakeholders. It enables employees to recognize how their work contributes to the long-term objectives of the company.
- Commencing training. While new hires in larger companies might take longer to finish filling out the immense paperwork, smaller companies can begin training within two days of the actual onboarding process.
First Month of Onboarding
In most cases, the first month is usually a replica of the first week.
- Training continues. While earlier training mostly focuses on the company’s administrative and cultural aspects, the training focuses on job roles and duties as the month progresses and becomes more intense.
- Evaluating progress. The new hire’s immediate supervisor checks regularly and reports back to the superiors on progress.
While only a few organizations extend their onboarding process to a year, it’s vital to set up a monthly or quarterly check-in plan with the new employee—schedule meetings at regular intervals to offer feedback about experiences during the actual training progress.
