Employee Onboarding- Everything you need to know

Employee Onboarding 

Employee Onboarding is the process by which the new hires are introduced to the organization and learn about the company culture, its structure and the colleagues. 

Through the onboarding process, new employees learn about their roles and responsibilities within the company. They are allotted a workspace and provided with the accessories and resources that they require to fulfil their duties within the company. The new hire also meets their managers, mentors and other team members through the employee onboarding process. When the onboarding ends, employees can independently perform their tasks productively. 

In earlier days, the purpose of onboarding was only considered to get new employees functional and working as quickly as possible. However, nowadays, organizations consider onboarding as a tool to etch their great first impression on the new hire’s mind and to engage them efficiently. 

For the onboarding process to be effective, it must last for at least from six months to a year. But most organizations conclude it within a time span of three months.  

The best way to assess the onboarding process is to continuously take feedback from the new employee. Regularly ask the employee if they know what their roles and responsibilities are and whether they have available all the resources required to fulfil them. Besides that, the manager must check if the employee feels welcome in the workplace and how engaged the employee is in their work. 

Signs of successful onboarding

1. The employee is excited to perform and contribute to the company’s success. 
2. The employee has cordial relationships with the colleagues. 
3. The employee regularly talks to the reporting manager. 
4. The employee has all the assets that are needed to perform the job effectively. 
5. The employee has received training wherever required. 
6. The employee isn’t stressed in the workplace. 
7. The employee has career goals that are supported by the company. 

Importance of Employee Onboarding

According to research conducted by Bamboo HR, employees that have positive onboarding experience are 18 times more dedicated to the company. 

Retention can be increased by 82% if employees are satisfied with the onboarding process, as per a study conducted by Brandon Hall group. 

Employees that are dedicated to the company and love their work have a greater potential to contribute to their company’s profits.  

A great onboarding process is supposed to increase productivity and keep the employee well informed and well equipped to perform their jobs in the best way possible. 

Stages of Employee Onboarding: 

The onboarding period starts once you hire the employee and ends once the employee can perform their job independently. Following are the cruicial stages of employee onboarding:

• Preboarding (Before the first day)

The preboarding stage starts after the candidate has signed their job offer letter.  Before the employee officially joins the office, you can send an informative email or an introductory welcome video to them.  

• Orientation (The first day)

The first day or the Orientation Day of the candidate is all about them experiencing the workplace environment. Greet and welcome the employee and let one of their teammates guide them around the workplace and provide them with all the necessary information and introduce them with their colleagues.   

• The first week

During the first week, the employee continues to understand the team, the company, and their role.  The employee develops a greater understanding of the tools and software that they might have to use in the workplace. The employee’s reporting manager must conduct repeated meetings with the employee to evaluate how they are settling in and to formulate a plan to evaluate the new hire’s progress.  

• The first 90 days

The new hire’s reporting manager and an HR professional should assist the employees by helping them set intelligent 30, 60, and 90-day goals that align with both the organization’s long-term goals and the employee’s professional development goals.  

• The first year

A meeting must be conducted with the employee, a year later to take their feedback and to evaluate their performance. Also, you can introduce them to your development programs and ask about their career ambitions.   

Employee Onboarding Best Practices

• Share the onboarding agenda for Day 1 via email before the actual onboarding begins. 
• Help your new employee complete all their paperwork early by sending it in a digitized form. 
• On the first day, distribute a welcome kit among the new employees. 
• Engage team members from different departments in the onboarding process. This helps familiarize the new employee with more of their colleagues and they’ll feel more at home. 
• Choose an onboarding buddy for the employee that will guide them during their initial weeks or months. 
• Clearly define the performance that is expected of the employee and what will make them successful in the workplace. 
• Take regular feedback from the employee to ensure that they are settled and content in the workplace environment. 
• Take regular feedback from the new hires about the onboarding program. Consider they constructive criticism that they provide for continuous improvement.