A new hire will have a lot of forms that need to be filled out or retrieved when he joins a company. The following are some best practices that can make the new hire onboarding process more streamlined and simplified for both the new hire and the organization.
-
Make form-filling a priority early on
Make your new hire forms a part of the first day’s onboarding. This will ensure the mandatory federal and state forms will be completed when required. And since they’re filling out forms anyway, you can include other forms such as their direct deposit form and emergency contact form.
-
Add the forms to your onboarding checklist
An onboarding checklist helps you make sure nothing slips through the cracks when you hire someone new, and it’s also the best place to include the paperwork that needs to be completed and collected.
-
Have a secure storage vault in place
You need to retain this paperwork, so it’s good to be organized and have a secure vault, so you can find the documents you need easily. And it’s not just about potential audits, either. If there’s a workplace accident, you’ll want to be able to get your hands on your employee’s emergency contact information as soon as possible.
-
Use a digital system
And speaking of systems, one good option is to digitize as much of your onboarding paperwork as you can so the information you need will just be a few clicks away. But make sure your system is locked down and safeguarded against cyberattacks.
-
Do a yearly paperwork review
Go through employee paperwork regularly to make sure they’re up to date, and send monthly reminders to all your employees about changing important information when necessary, such as emergency contact numbers or their tax withholding amounts, so the information you have on file for them is accurate.
