WHAT IS NEW HIRE ONBOARDING?
New hire onboarding is the process of familiarizing the new employee with the company’s culture, policies, and environment. It also includes equipping the new employee with important tools and training to fulfill the company’s performance expectations.
New hire onboarding is a strategic process that needs to be planned to achieve measurable results. It is not a day’s work; it involves continuous effort for at least 6 months to ensure satisfaction for both the employee and the organization. An effective new hire onboarding process plays a key role in employee retention.
Who is involved in the new hire onboarding process?
The main parties involved in the execution of this process include:
- HR managers
- Trainers
- Mentors
- Recruiting managers
- IT department
- New hire
WHAT ARE THE STEPS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING? [ONBOARDING BEST PRACTICES]
Step 1. Sending the offer letter:
Once the offer letter is sent, the company must consider that the new hire onboarding process has begun. Therefore, the organization must very clearly mention the following in it:
- Job Profile
- Job Description
- Contact number/ e-mail
- Compensation Offer
- Follow up
Step 2. Accepting the offer:
After the company has sent the offer letter, the new hire is required to accept it. Once the new employee has accepted the offer letter the recruiting officer is required to set up a phone/ video call or a meeting with the new hire to review the terms, conditions, and compensation that have already been agreed upon. Now that the employee has accepted the offer, the company must prepare the following paperwork:
· Employment Agreement
· Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
· Employee Field Guide/ Staff Manual
Step 3. Waiting Period:
Generally, there is a waiting period between the offer acceptance and the joining date of the new hire. During the waiting period, the following preparation can be done by the company to build and strengthen its relationship with the new hire:
· Send a Welcome e-mail – It may contain reporting time, documents to bring in, dress code, and other details.
· Assign the Work system & network credentials- IT must prepare a working system for the new employee and create the required network credentials for them.
· Send introductory e-mail to their team- Encourage the team to initiate the conversation with the new hire.
· Find someone to give the new hire a tour of the organization.
· Put up a nameplate on their assigned desk to boost their commitment to the company.
Step 4. First day of joining:
The first day of joining brings with it a cocktail of emotions for the new hire. The anxiety, nervousness, and excitement all grip them simultaneously. Therefore, the HR manager plays a key role in helping the new employee feel welcome and settle in, by performing the following functions:
- Welcoming the new hire.
- Introducing them to their team.
- Helping the new hire to fill in any necessary paperwork.
- Scheduling their first week.
- Planning lunch with their team.
- Letting them explore the company workspace.
- Assigning them with their work desk and system.
- Providing them with the company e-mail.
- Providing them with necessary software log-ins and credentials.
- Instructing regarding the training programs that they must take.
- Scheduling various required training programs for them.
- Introducing the new employee to prospective mentors and trainers.
Step 5. First week:
During the first week, HR must communicate regularly with the new hire. They should set up all their meetings and the schedule for the first week. Besides that, the new hire must be introduced to their trainee and reporting manager. The following activities should be coordinated to engage the new hire:
- Schedule training.
- Assign small achievable projects.
- Arrange regular meetings with reporting manager.
- Arrange introductory meetings with other departments.
- Prepare a 3-month or 6-month strategy.
- Provide prompt feedback about their tasks.
- Communicate company expectations of the standard of their tasks.
Step 6. First 3 months:
The first 3 months are a deciding factor for employee retention. The company’s first impression of the new hire and vice versa are developed within this period. It is a good idea to indulge the new hire in the following activities:
- Review performance.
- Collect feedback on the work environment.
- Check-in every 30 days to deal with any concerns.
- Keep introducing the new hire to all the members of the company.
- Communicate any rectifiable deviation from standards.
WHY SHOULD A COMPANY PLAN NEW HIRE ONBOARDING? [IMPORTANCE OF NEW HIRE ONBOARDING]
An Employee Onboarding process etches the first impression of a company onto a new hire’s mind. It is their first chance to get to know the organization, interact with its culture and understand its policies. Consequently, an effective onboarding plan can make the new hire feel included in the organization and gain clarity about their job roles.
Carefully planning and implementing an Onboarding process is important for the following reasons:
1. Avoid Information Overload:
Besides the other new hire formalities, the Onboarding process includes paperwork. A planned process can address this hassle by automating the process. The employees can have personalized dashboards that indicate the percentage of progress they have achieved. They can get deadline alerts, notifications, and e-mails if anything is pending or has not been submitted yet.
2. Increased Brand Value:
When an employee joins a new workplace, they can be easily intimidated by an unplanned onboarding process that’s all over the place. Instead of giving out a false flag, plan your onboarding process for their convenience. Be mindful while planning an onboarding process as there are multiple review sites for workplaces, where they leak their true experiences and feelings about the company. These reviews can build or tarnish a company’s image. Any potential candidate can go through them before deciding whether to send a resume to the employer or not. A new hire will only recommend the company if they like their workplace. In conclusion, to boost your company’s brand value a well-planned and implemented onboarding process is of paramount importance.
3. Unveil Maximum Productivity:
When new hires feel valued and appreciated by the company, their dedication, and commitment to work maximize. A potent onboarding plan empowers them to unveil their full potential for productivity subsequently enhancing the quality of work in the company.
4. Raise Employee Retention:
The process of recruitment involves a good amount of investment of money and time. Therefore, an onboarding process is only successful when the return on investment (ROI) is satisfying. Employee retention is one factor that can be used to measure the ROI on onboarding. An effective onboarding process is where new hires feel committed to the company and valued by it. As a result, they develop a good bond with their workplace and people, and the overall rate of retention rises for the company.
According to research, 90% of new hires are retained by the onboarding process in the first six months.
CONCLUSION:
An onboarding plan that accommodates the above-advised best practices is imperative for new hire satisfaction and retention. It ascertains that new hires feel motivated, confident, and integrated with the company.
For companies to deliver the best possible new hire onboarding plan, new hire onboarding software is a great resource.
EMP Trust HR’s Next generation Employee Onboarding software helps create delightful new hire experiences without an exception. Major features of our Employee Onboarding software include:
- Customizable electronic new hire Forms.
- Customizable Onboarding packages.
- E-signatures.
- Automated Task management.
- Customized Branded Employee Onboarding portal.
- Personalized Onboarding portal for enhanced employee engagement.
- User-friendly and intuitive Onboarding Wizard.
- Design that is responsive and adaptable across all devices.
- Real-time employee Dashboards
- Track new hire form completion Status.
- Send alerts, notifications, and e-mails on pending tasks.
- Integrate seamlessly with third-party software.
Our Onboarding software solutions aim to minimize the strategic burden on you and your team. We provide the right tools to support your efforts in building an effective onboarding plan.
