Did you know that companies that have established and great new employee onboarding processes see a retention rate of 82 percent of new hires? The onboarding process is arguably the most important part of introducing a new candidate to your company policies and values. It is also a great way to foster a feeling of employee engagement in your workplace.
If you run a business then you need to know the best way to handle your onboarding process, whether it is doing it manually or using onboarding automation for all of your needs. The wrong new employee onboarding process could break your business and cause you to miss out on the best talent in the industry.
The good news is that you’ve come to the perfect place to learn more about how to perfect your onboarding process to reap the benefits. Continue reading this article to learn more about how to put together an amazing employee onboarding process today.
Benefits of New Employee Onboarding
Before you dive into the steps that you need to take when it comes to employee onboarding, it is important that you understand the benefits that you’ll gain by having the best onboarding process at your business. Here is a closer look at some of the best benefits.
Improves Your Business’s Talent Acquisition
One key aspect of running and growing a business is being able to attract the best talent and then keep it when other opportunities come calling. A great way to ensure that you get and keep the best talent is by using a great onboarding process. Employees like feeling appreciated and taken care of.
Happy employees won’t hesitate to tell their friends and family about how much they love their job and employer. This helps to grow your business’s brand and creates a positive impression of your business on anyone that talks with your employees. It will make others want to seek employment opportunities with your company.
This means that you won’t have issues getting employees with the skills that your business needs in order to take off. You’ll find the perfect fit for your business and then have no issues keeping them there since they will be valued and appreciated.
Higher Productivity
The onboarding process is the part of the new employee experience where the new hire gains proficiency and a greater understanding of what their job requires. This means that it is a great opportunity to get your new hire up to speed in a short period of time.
A good onboarding process will have your new hires boosting productivity because there won’t be a lull in between when they start working for you and when they reach a level of proficiency. This means that the productivity of the new hire will be as much as 70 percent higher compared to new hires with poor onboarding.
Your new hires will start their new job with a chance to really take off right from the start. This helps them gain confidence and a sense of belonging while also boosting the productivity of your business and operations.
Retention Rates Go Up
One of the key things for any manager or business owner is making sure that you keep all of your best workers and talents. Other companies will try to poach your best and brightest away but a good onboarding process might be the difference between them leaving for new opportunities or staying to continue growing something special with your business.
On top of that, businesses that have a high turnover rate spend much more money over the course of the year. It takes money to hire new employees and even more money and time to train them and get them up to speed. If you’re in a constant cycle of hiring and training workers only for them to leave then you’re setting your business up for failure with your new employee onboarding.
Helps Boost Company Culture
When you’re running a business, it is important that everyone is rowing in the same direction. This might be difficult at times with new hires, but a good onboarding program will help you get everyone on the same page and create a sense of belonging amongst the new hires.
A good onboarding process will make the assimilation process a breeze for all of your new hires. This means they’ll be comfortable working at your business and bring a positive attitude to each workday at your company. They’ll feel connected to their teammates and committed to your company.
Putting Together the Onboarding Process
Managing and developing a thorough and successful onboarding process is difficult and takes both time and patience. Many people believe that the onboarding process starts with paperwork and ends after only a few days. If that is how you’re handling your onboarding process then you’re going to want to continue reading.
Here is a closer look at the steps you need to include in your business or organization’s onboarding process for new hires.
Pre-Onboarding
When the onboarding process starts it is always a good idea to send your new hire a welcome email. This email needs to provide your new hire with all of the relevant information about starting with your company while also having some warm and welcoming personal touches.
Make sure that you provide the new hire with an explanation of the onboarding plan so that they know what to expect in the coming days and weeks. A good idea is to provide them with an onboarding timeline that provides a clear picture of what the process entails.
You’ll also want to include their working hours and the start date for the beginning of their employment with your company. Another helpful step that shouldn’t get skipped is letting the new hire know all of the required documents that they need to provide. You should also let them know the dress code for your business and workplace and the expectations for employee conduct.
Another important step for pre-onboarding is notifying your existing team that you’ve hired a new employee that they’ll be working with. This lets your team members know that they’ve got a new teammate on the way and allows them to provide a warm welcome to the company, creating a special memory for the new hire.
You also need to get with your IT department to get started with setting up all of the accounts on the different software programs that your new hire needs to use for their job. This is vital because you don’t want your new hire showing up for the first day only to discover that they can’t log into their computer. It makes your business look disorganized and inept.
A welcome package is also a nice touch to add to the new employee onboarding process. This package should include a letter from the company’s CEO or department head as well as some company gear. Other fun ideas include discounts, gifts, and even loyalty cards through your business.
First Day of Onboarding
Once the new hire comes for their first day with your business you’ll want to make sure that you have all of your ducks in a row. While your business’s HR department will help to take the lead role with onboarding, there is still a lot that you’ll need to do as well.
You’ll want to be there to greet your new employee when they arrive on their first day. This makes them feel welcomed and valued when they arrive. It might be through a Zoom or Microsoft Teams call or it could be in person. It is important because it helps the new hire get their day started on the right foot.
On the morning of the first day of onboarding, the new employee should be focused on spending some time with them and making them feel welcome at your organization. You’ll also want to go through all of the essential paperwork and documentation that is required for new employees. A great way to do this is with onboarding software.
Next, be sure to introduce the new hire to their new manager and teammates. These are the people that your new hire will get to work with each day so it is important that they feel engaged and welcomed. The more employee engagement your new hire experiences, the better they’ll fit in with the rest of the company.
The first day is best set up to be a light day that gets your new employee’s feet wet but doesn’t overwhelm them. Allow your new hire to ask questions throughout the day and provide them with the best answers possible. This also works well with combining employee orientation with any questions.
The orientation should include a rundown of the company’s history and values as well as some training like online safety training. It should also include an in-depth look at their job responsibilities. Give them an explanation of the different software programs your business uses.
First Week of Onboarding
While the bulk of the onboarding process belongs to the pre-onboarding and first-day onboarding parts, the first week is important too. The first week gives you a chance to fix any issues that your new employee experiences when getting started with your business.
It is important to look at the onboarding process as a process rather than something that gets figured out overnight. To have the best onboarding experience you want to make sure that you’re providing the right environment while working with positive and willing managers.
Use the first week of onboarding to solve any logistics issues that your employee is facing. Introduce them to any coworkers that they haven’t already met. Another good strategy is to have a 1-on-1 coffee break with your new employee. Ask them for their first impressions and any questions or concerns that they have.
You’ll also want to help them to connect with the vision of where you’d like the company to go as well as the values that you believe will help you get there. Make sure that you provide answers and solutions to any questions and concerns that your new employee has. You want to make sure that they feel heard and valued.
First Month of Onboarding
Another stop on the new employee onboarding checklist is to check in with your employee after their first month with your business. At this point, your employee will have been through most of the onboarding process. They will have a much clearer idea of what their job entails and the best way to go about it using the tools you’ve provided.
You’ll also have your first chance to give your new employee some feedback. Get their opinion of the training and onboarding process. You should also explain how you review their performance and go over what you expect from them in their job duties.
First Year of Onboarding
You’ll want to schedule another meeting with your new employee when they reach their one-year anniversary of work. Take this time to celebrate their first year working with your business. Do something special and personalized to show that you appreciate them.
You should also schedule informal chats with their managers and other superiors in the business hierarchy. Make sure that you get detailed information and feedback about your new onboarding process. This helps to ensure that new hires like it and identify any areas where you can make changes.
Help your new hire set up long-term goals for them as well as for the company. Don’t be afraid to use your business’s social media to celebrate the one-year anniversary of your employee. This makes them feel special. It also shows other people in the industry that your employees mean everything to you and your business.
Take Your New Employee Onboarding to the Next Level
The new employee onboarding process is arguably the most important part of making good hires for your company and retaining them when competitors come calling. It is important that you make them feel special and appreciated throughout the process. Get their feedback and answer any questions they have about the process as well as your company.
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