Which of the following refers to the process of providing a new employee with information about the organizational policies and procedures?
It is important to make sure that new hires feel supported when they enter a new organization. In an especially tight labor market, the onboarding process is key to setting up these hard-won hires for success. What is onboarding? It’s the process of integrating new hires into an organization. Show
An effective onboarding process can make a big difference to the success of an organization. Research shows that employee onboarding can improve employee retention by 82% and productivity by 70%. However, even though an onboarding is so important to employee success, only 12% of employees feel they had a great onboarding. What can you do to make sure that your onboarding process is providing everything new hires need? In this article we’ll cover the key benefits of a good onboarding process, important steps, and best practices. Download our onboarding checklist below to make sure that you don’t miss a step. By improving onboarding in your organization, you can boost productivity, reduce costs, and help retain employees. Let’s get started! Table of Contents
What is onboarding?The process of onboarding is how an organization gets new hires up to speed. During the onboarding process, employees learn more about the scope of their role, their colleagues, and the values of the larger organization. Through the process of onboarding, incoming employees have the opportunity to get access to and training for the tools they’ll need to be using. They’ll also be able to ask important questions and acclimate to the company climate. Why is onboarding so important? A staggering 90% of employees decide whether to stay or leave a company during their first 6 months. In the tightest labor market in recent history, organizations cannot afford to lose employees to inadequate onboarding processes. For this reason, organizations need to invest in making the employee onboarding experience a good one. Bad onboarding processes leave employees feeling unsupported. They won’t have the resources they need to reach their goals, which can be very demotivating. What onboarding is not: Onboarding vs. orientationIt is important to note that there are key differences between onboarding and orientation. For most organizations, the orientation is a one-time event. It is typically only a couple hours or at most a full work day and it is typically general enough to apply to many employees from various teams. Meanwhile, the employee onboarding process will take several days or even weeks. During the onboarding process, employees will receive information that is much more specific to their team and their role. Orientation is just a small part of an onboarding process! Benefits of an effective onboarding processBenefits of onboarding for organizationsSome of the most valuable benefits of a well-structured employee onboarding are as follows:
Benefits of Onboarding for Employees
Benefits of Digital Onboarding for Remote Teams
Setting onboarding process objectivesAs you set up your onboarding process, it is important to set clear objectives so that you know where to devote your energy. Here are some of the key objectives that should be considered throughout the onboarding process:
With these goals in mind, you’ll be able to create an onboarding process that sets new hires up for success. Tracking onboarding metricsOnce you’ve determined the objectives of your onboarding program, you can use key onboarding metrics in order to track the success of your onboarding. Consider tracking the following onboarding success metrics:
Read 5 Key Metrics to Track Onboarding Success → The Onboarding Process: 4 Key StepsThe duration of the employee onboarding process can last anywhere from 45 days to one year, depending on the characteristics of the
job and the skills of the new worker. The first few days, weeks, and months, are crucial to forming a good working relationship between an employee and the company. Here are some of the key points that you should consider at each phase of the onboarding process. 1) Before the New Employee’s Start DateThe process of pre-onboarding or “preboarding” occurs before the new hire’s first day on the job. Firstly, you need to determine which onboarding documents you need to prepare and sign before their arrival. These might include legal documents, documents specific to the new hire’s position, payroll documents, and company-specific documents. Stay in touch with the new hire and answer any questions they have before starting their new role, ie. working hours, dress code, vacation days, etc. Try to help them feel supported and part of the team from the beginning. Before their start date, the new employee must know:
2) Plan Out Onboarding ActivitiesAside from paperwork, it is always a good idea to plan out the new hire’s first week. You will want to make sure that teammates are aware of the newcomer’s start date and that their workstation is ready to go. You might also want to search for some creative ideas for new employee onboardings. For example, ice breaker activities and lunches for them with other team members. This way, newly onboarded employees will feel comfortable immediately. 3) Help New Employees Feel Acquainted from Day 1On the very first day, it’s vital that new hires receive a warm welcome. Make a point to give employees a tour of the office and introduce them to coworkers and other new employees. If you have a buddy system, like Factorial HR’s, it is a great way to help employees feel closer and more connected to team members working in other departments. 4) Check-in on New Team MembersAfter the first week, the onboarding process is not over! It takes time for newly hired employees to feel 100% comfortable and confident in their position. Be sure to check in from time to time to make sure that trainings are going well and that they feel adapted and adjusted. Hosting team-building activities are a great way to make newer employees feel incorporated. It can really make a difference in retention efforts! Sample onboarding plan for new employeesThere is no cookie-cutter format that every company must follow when designing their plan for onboarding. In fact, the plan you create is dependent on, the type of company, the management, and the team involved. Using an onboarding checklist template is especially helpful to make sure that you don’t miss a step when new talent joins your team. The phases of onboarding begin before a new employee accepts your offer. As for the length of time, it can last anywhere from 1 day, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or more. Here is a timeline to help you organize and plan onboarding from start to finish. Pre-Onboarding: The selection process
Welcoming New Employees
During the First Week on the JobOnce the first day is complete, the employer should always follow up with the employee. The first week serves as a great time to get feedback from the employee on how they are feeling in their role, and more importantly, in their environment. Here are some additional things you can do as an HR manager, to help the new employee along.
After the First MonthFollowing the first month, remember to regularly meet with the new employee and follow up with them to know whether they are satisfied in their new role.
Adapting your onboarding to be remote-friendlyWith the rise of hybrid and remote work, more and more organizations are onboarding employees who will never even step foot into a physical office space. The remote onboarding process can involve some additional steps, such as sending gear to remote workers and ensuring compliance with the laws. It also means that automating your onboarding process so that it can be self-led by employees will be even more important. Consider using some digital onboarding tools so that new hires can guide themselves autonomously. Read Remote Onboarding: A Step-by-Step Guide→ Investing in the right digital onboarding toolsThe main advantage of using digital tools is to accelerate the process. In addition, digital tools improve the overall efficiency of the new employee’s integration process. These are the distinct types of digital tools every company should know about: Onboarding ChecklistsThese are the simplest and most common tools to keep track of your to-dos. A basic way to create an employee checklist for onboarding is to use Excel. However, a spreadsheet isn’t the most visually appealing. Alternative tools like Trello, allow you to create, assign, and keep track of tasks. Check out some of the best practices for onboarding below. Specialized ToolsOne example of this type of tool is Talmundo, a tool specialized in performing onboarding for companies. Their intuitive and structured process makes bringing on new employees a positive experience for all. Integrated Tools – HRMSHRMS software can improve your digital onboarding process. Systems like Factorial HR integrate many processes. Everything from applicant tracking to electronically sign documents, and more! Factorial HR streamlines your HR processes so you can save time on the laborious administrative tasks commonly associated with HR. Electronic SignatureThe functionality of an electronic signature allows you to automize the process of signing legal employee documents. Although programs like Signaturit provides this functionality, it’s best to use an integrated tool, like the one we’ve mentioned under HRMS. Machine Learning SystemsThese tools tend to cost a pretty penny and require even more time to implement. However, on the other hand, they provide a great deal of help when training new employees. One such popular machine learning tool is called Cornerstone. The core of Cornerstone is promoting social learning to achieve better communication and employee involvement. ChatbotsNo, these are not talking robots that you place on your desk to keep you company throughout the day. Chatbots, similar to robots, are relatively new tools that allow employees to ask questions they would otherwise have to ask from the manager. With a chatbox, the company asks a question, and the bot responds. Free Multimedia ToolsThere are many free applications that exist which allow you to record videos. Improve the onboarding experience by incorporating instructional videos. Share them with your new employees to assist in their learning process.
Loom is a great fee multimedia tools is used to create basic videos. Onboarding Best PracticesEmployee onboarding is an incredibly valuable time. It is when your employee gets a feel for the company and its culture —but sometimes it is when a new hire goes back to the job market. A staggering 20% of new hires leave their job to pursue another opportunity within 45 days. An exceptional onboarding process that goes the extra mile is the best way to keep top talent around. It will also get them up to speed even faster and help them to integrate and feel at home. If you implement even a few of these onboarding best practices, your company is sure to wow incoming talent. Personalize your Welcome KitOnboarding involves a lot of logistics but it doesn’t have to be dry! Welcome Kits should be more than a pile of drab documents and some pens. Spruce up that employee handbook by hiring a writer to make it more readable or a designer to create fun infographics. Help new hires settle in by including a glossary of company jargon and a who’s who cheat sheet. The renowned advertising agency Ogilvy gives newbies a chic red-and-black box complete with a manifesto written by Ogilvy himself and a list of his creative habits. A non-generic Welcome Kit is the first step of effective onboarding: it will give your newest employee a peek at company culture and make them eager to learn more. Give an Onboarding Gift (or Some Nice Swag)Let new hires know how happy you are to have them with a welcome gift such as flowers, lunch certificates, or a map of cool spots in the area. Some companies give out swag, like branded coffee mugs, water bottles, and sweatshirts. The more this swag is tailored to the company’s goals, the better. OPower, an energy data company, gives employees a bottle of champagne to be saved for when the company helps reduce carbon emissions in the US by 1%. Swag is more than just “free stuff.” It can be a key part of the onboarding experience, helping new hires to integrate and invest themselves in the company’s goals. Make it Fun with Onboarding GamesGamify the onboarding process to engage and motivate new employees from their first day on the job. Make the work environment inviting by awarding and tracking points on a digital or physical leaderboard. As new hires learn new skills and complete tasks, they can “level up.” This might be an exceptionally useful tactic if your company uses app onboarding. Be sure to offer challenges and bonus points! Send New Employees on a Scavenger HuntSome companies, like Texas-based digital marketing company Bazaarvoice, include scavenger hunts in their onboarding program. New hires are sent out to find clues hidden all over the office and property while they get the lay of the land. Additionally, other companies hold virtual scavenger hunts, sending employees looking for answers to policy questions or for contact info on the company’s intranet. This onboarding effort is a fun way to acclimate new hires to tools and technologies they will need to use every day. Bonus: if they get stuck, they’ll have to ask one of their new coworkers for help. The Best Onboarding Practices Break the IceOnboarding best practices include making sure to provide plenty of time for get-to-know-you activities for new hires. It’s important that new employees start building relationships with their coworkers as soon as possible. Here at Factorial, when someone new joins the team, we have the standard introductions and then afterward, we play “two truths and a lie.” This gives new hires a chance to share about themselves and joke around with the team to build rapport. Using icebreakers will make sure new employees feel ready to jump in and make waves. Set Up New Hires with a BuddyThere’s a lot to learn when a new employee joins a company! Make the stressful onboarding experience more navigable by pairing your new hire up with a buddy, a more-experienced team member who can show them the ropes. A buddy can give a new hire a tour of the office, introduce them to coworkers, and provide a safe place to ask questions that are too embarrassing to ask management. Harvard Business Review found that for such a simple system, an onboarding buddy program showed outsized benefits. Providing context, boosting productivity, and improving employee satisfaction, an onboarding buddy is among the new employee orientation best practices. Involve Management in the Onboarding ProcessTo go above and beyond best practices for onboarding new employees, give new hires a chance to connect with senior leaders. Involving senior leaders in onboarding humanizes the company for new hires. It also gives them a chance to connect with the mission of the company in a new way. For example, all new hires at Netflix are welcomed with an orientation with the executive management. Within the first quarter, they meet the CEO. For managers and executives, these meetings can also provide valuable opportunities to learn more about employees and gather feedback about the company. Optimize the Onboarding ProcessWith the information presented in this article, you are more than prepared to create the best onboarding plan for your new employees. By including these processes in your HR plan for 2020, there is a multitude of benefits, for both you and the employee. Without knowing what is onboarding or how to effectively create and implement a plan, incoming employees won’t have a clear idea about your organization, their role, or the philosophy of the company they are working with. Ensure a warm welcome to your new staff member and provide them with the best entry (ie. using digital tools to assist). The results will be better adaptation and integration, staff retention, increased satisfaction, and overall, a positive experience. ✅ Download our onboarding checklistWhat is the process called when you integrate a new employee into an organization?"Onboarding" refers to the processes in which new hires are integrated into the organization. It includes activities that allow new employees to complete an initial new-hire orientation process, as well as learn about the organization and its structure, culture, vision, mission and values.
What is orientation process for new employees?A typical orientation will include going over the company culture, leadership, mission and vision, and processes and procedures. Remember to include time for an office tour, introductions to core team members, department leaders, and the facilities where they will be working.
What is the process of orientation?Orientation typically refers to the process of induction of new hires or the introduction of current employees to new technologies, procedures and policies at the workplace.
What does the term onboarding refer to?Onboarding is a human resources industry term referring to the process of introducing a newly hired employee into an organization. Also known as organizational socialization, onboarding is an important part of helping employees understand their new position and job requirements.
|