Onboarding: How to Set New Hires On a Path To Success

No matter how educated, skilled, and experienced a new hire is, your company won’t experience their potential if you haven’t adequately integrated them into the culture and equipped them with the information they need to perform.

That’s where onboarding comes into the picture. It’s a process business execs and HR personnel use to introduce new team members to the organization. 

What is An Onboarding Process? 

Imagine showing up for your first day on the job, being directed to a desk, and being told to perform without further instructions. While your education, training, and experience can help you navigate basic concepts and functions, completing tasks within your job description would be time-consuming and stressful. These complications will impact your performance while causing workflow, collaboration, financial, and productivity issues within the organization.

An onboarding strategy simplifies this process for new hires. It is a series of activities and procedures that give new hires a better understanding of organizational goals, expectations, behaviors, and culture. From meeting administrative staff and completing essential HR documentation to touring the premises and learning the basics of equipment and technologies, the onboarding process helps new team members prepare to be an instrumental part of the company. 

Successful Onboarding Tips

Failing to make new hires feel welcomed, prepared, and confident enough to complete their jobs is a costly mistake businesses should avoid. It increases turnover rates, slows productivity, lowers workplace morale, hinders team collaboration, and wastes time, money, and resources. 

An effective onboarding strategy should empower new hires and show them how invested you are in their success. Not sure how to help your new team members get acclimated? Consider these onboarding tips below. 

Pre-Boarding 

Pre-boarding is the timeframe between a candidate accepting a job offer and their first day. It’s an opportunity for companies to welcome new hires and cover some mundane logistics. 

Sending out welcome emails, making companywide announcements, and posting new hire images and highlights on social media are effective ways to make team members feel special. New hires can also complete logistics such as reading handbooks, signing contracts, and completing benefit and payroll paperwork before they start working. 

Administrative Outreach

Company executives, administrators, and supervisors should contact recruits before their first day. It’s an icebreaker, significantly enhancing communication and strengthening the employer-team member relationship. Administrative outreach is a chance to cultivate a comfortable and safe environment for new hires. 

Whether you have a business lunch at a nearby restaurant, host a conference call, or schedule a virtual meeting, administrative outreach lets new members know you care. 

The Buddy System

The buddy system is another onboarding tip that enhances the new team member experience. Designating a team member from the same department to show them the ropes, answer questions, and build a connection makes the transition easier for everyone. It eases new hire anxieties, improves workplace morale, opens the lines of communication, and encourages collaboration. 

Diverse Interactive Training

A new team member can’t be expected to head to their workstation and begin performing at the level of existing staff without complications. They must learn how to utilize your systems, understand company procedures, and get acquainted with departmental processes. Training is an onboarding tip that sets the foundation for team members to maximize their performance. 

When developing your onboarding training program, go beyond reading materials. Diversify your training options to accommodate team members learning preferences and enhance the onboarding experience. From videos and quizzes to interactive gaming and project simulations, take advantage of modern techniques to ensure new hires can succeed. 

Check-Ins And Feedback

One of the most overlooked yet essential onboarding tips is understanding the new hire experience. You should know what team members like and dislike about the onboarding process so you can make changes to improve their experience. 

Scheduling regular check-ins or encouraging new hire feedback gives businesses insight into their progression and the effectiveness of their onboarding program. Hearing the experiences of someone on the “outside looking in” provides a new perspective that can be instrumental in strengthening your strategy.  On the other hand, it allows team members to ask questions, express concerns, and get clarification or guidance on completing their jobs. 

You can hire some of the greatest minds in your industry; however, if you don’t take the time to introduce them to your company’s culture, goals, expectations, environment, processes, and procedures, your efforts are meaningless.

An onboarding process is designed to give new hires a proper introduction to your organization. It’s a multi-step process that says, “We’re happy to have you,” and equips recruits with the basic knowledge and resources they need to be productive team members that take your business to the next level. Use the onboarding tips above to create a plan that sets you and your new hires on the path to success.