Step one, find the right candidate. Step two, hire the right candidate. Step three, done? Not quite. Now, those are very general steps one and two and we know a lot more goes into both of them. Our point is that onboarding is just as important as sourcing and placing the right person. It sets the stage for successful employees and can be a determinant in how long they stay with the organization. All too often, it becomes just another step in the process and is sometimes even overlooked as just another checkpoint. So when you’ve fallen into an onboarding rut, here are 5 employee onboarding tips to revamp your current process.
Prepare a 90-day plan
Onboarding isn’t just a first week process. It’s the entire time your new employee is learning about the organization and getting a real grip on their new position. David Nui, Founder of TINYhr, said:
“Regardless of how much experience your new hires have under their belt, it takes time for them to learn the tools, processes and responsibilities in their new role. You can’t just leave new hires to fend for themselves.”
Give the team a heads up
New hires aren’t the only ones making adjustments. Their new team has to help them learn the department, welcome them into the new atmosphere and update them on projects the group has been working on. Send the team a quick email telling them when the new employee will start with a few background details about who the new team member is.
Get the paperwork done
The most mundane part of the onboarding process doesn’t have to be so… dull. Don’t waste their first few days in the office with all of the necessary legal paperwork; instead have new hires complete paperwork before their first day. In a previous post, Christine Marino, our Chief Revenue Officer, explained:
“Get all of the humdrum prerequisites out of the way as soon as possible. Ideally, you want to get most of the legal forms, benefits packages, and other new hire detritus out of the way electronically before they even step foot in the door. Paperless onboarding will help them feel more productive on their first day and beyond.”
Give a tour
Your new hire won’t inherently know where the copier or the mailroom is, much less where Lisa from accounting sits who they’ll be working with regularly. In fact, 59% of your new employees not only want, they expect a tour of the facilities.
Consider a probationary period
Low-risk, low-complexity tasks are the perfect opportunity for new hires to dip their toe into the company pool. Slowly but surely, advance these tasks into graduated assignments so they’re consistently challenged and you’re working them into the deepest parts of their new role as they emerge from the probationary period. Aoife Gorey, Associate Marketing Manager at Profiles International, said
“Trial periods allow the new hire and company to mutually assess their compatibility without an obligation. A trial or probationary period can greatly increase the loyalty of your new hires and reduce turnover.”
Onboarding is one of the most important parts of the hiring process. Although the employee has already been hired – technically – they still need to be eased into the culture and introduced to important individuals in the company. Prepare a 90-day plan to determine checkpoints in the probationary period, get the humdrum paperwork done ahead of time, and give a tour of the building and the tools so the new hire is well-adjusted to their new environment and the new role.
