An Insight In Onboarding New Employees?
When it comes to an employer carrying out an onboarding process for their new employees, making sure that they are brought into the company culture seamlessly and know everything they need to know to fulfil their role is vital.
According to employee onboarding statistics, onboarding new employees is critical for maintaining the best talent in any organisation. By implementing the onboarding process effectively, a new employee will be able to seamlessly participate into a team or business.
They quickly establish themselves as a valuable member of the team and quickly become integrated into the company’s culture.
For many employers this may not be so simple. Therefore it’s imperative to ask the question – what does it take to successfully ensure the onboarding process is successful?
What Is Onboarding?
To put it very simply, onboarding new employees consists of introducing them to the business and welcoming them ‘onboard’ your team.
The benefits of onboarding are heavily apparent by many studies, with it being found that effective employee onboarding can improve employee retention by 82%.
Whilst employee retention is one of the main focal points for any businesses upper management across the globe, it remains an elusive goal for many with 88% of employees believing their employers don’t do a great job when onboarding them or new staff.
With these statistics in mind it is important to recognise that there are numerous areas of improvement for most employers and taking positive steps towards can greatly improve efficiency and work environment.
To onboard well preparation is king. This can be done in a number of ways and the more you do prior to them arriving on their first day, the happier your new employee will feel moving forward.
Keep in mind, there is a fine line between welcoming them to your team before they arrive and overloading them with emails and messages which some people may find irritating and see you as hassling them.
We have put together 8 useful tips which you can take away and put towards a successful onboarding process with your new employees.
The Welcome Email
So, you have a new employee joining your team and you need to start their onboard process. It is very important to ensure that they are prepared for their first day as well as feeling happy and confident.
Sending them a welcome email will help them to start feeling part of your team as well as finding out any key information.
Within this email you should include a contact point (phone number and email address) which they can use if they ever need to ask a question. Make sure that these details are purely for professional purposes.
In conjunction to this, invite them to a welcome meeting and explain why you are doing this as well as where and when.
Send Their Contract
Within their welcome email, send over their contract which can be viewed and read clearly. They can then read through their contract and make sure they are happy with everything stated inside before signing it and handing It back to you.
Make sure that the contract is relevant to their job description, it is up–to–date, and has all the relevant information inside.
Offer Them An Initial Contact Number
From the moment their application to work with you is accepted, you will want your new employees to feel welcomed and part of your team.
By offering them a contact number which they can use in case they have any questions, it will allow them to feel at ease and more confident for their first day.
If there are any problems before they are due to start or on the day, they have a contact number which they can get in contact with to inform you of any issues.
Welcome Meeting To Introduce The Team
Before your new members of staff arrive for their very first day at your business, it would be a great start to their onboarding process if they were introduced to the team they will work alongside.
This will allow them to form immediate connections and will offer your new employee a smoother first day as they will not be on their own with no one to speak too.
First days can be nerve-wracking as it is, without having to come into a job having never met anyone before.
You could hold your welcome meeting by offering your new employees a taster day which includes different members of the team, or you can hold a welcome lunch and invite your new employees and your staff.
Connections can be made within the team and whilst they are there having their lunch, and you can offer them a tour of the building.
Show Them Around The Business
Whether you show them around before or after your welcome meeting/lunch, make the most of having them at the company and get as much completed as you can. You need your new members of staff to be feeling confident and ready.
This will not only help you out in the long run, but it will also help them adapt to their new surrounding quicker and more happily.
Whilst you are showing them around the business, run through the health and safety procedures along with all fire exits, contact numbers, and fire assembly points. Remember to include the toilets and kitchen in this tour.
If there is any key information which they need to be aware of before they start, now is the best time to tell them.
Organise Their Logins And Details They Need For Their New Job
They are going to need their logins, keys, uniform, and alarm codes or key codes if necessary.
Have all these things ready for their first day with you so they are ready to get started for the day ahead.
Try not to overload them with lots of information and security codes all at once. Instead write them down or provide them with a digital file which they can make notes on for any key information they need.
Schedule Their Training
Schedule their training within their first week so they can get started on the right foot, instead of being left without knowing what is going on.
Whilst you don’t want to burden them with too much information and instructions, you still want your new team to feel included and prepared. Getting them started with their training early on will offer them a good start to the job.
Organise the most important training first which will help them get started. Introduce the more complex training at a later date once they are settled.
Have A Final Meeting With Them To Ensure They Are Happy And Comfortable
Before you send them on their way to start their new career within your business, make sure that they have everything they need to feel calm, happy, and confident in their working environment.
In this meeting, you can give them their uniform, information which is needed, login details, and any codes they need.
However, don’t leave them on their own once they have started. Check up on them weekly for the first 2 weeks, then check on them monthly. You want to make sure that they are happy within their role and see if they are facing any issues or areas where they are struggling in more than others.
It may also be a good idea to check if they are getting along with their team or if they have been faced with any trouble or issues amongst the team–assigning a mentor to them for their initial month may be a great way to help bridge this gap.
They should be able to come to work and feel safe and happy. It is up to you as the employer to be certain that there are no disputes or barriers present within the team and if there is, they should be addressed immediately.
The first month can always be daunting for anybody starting a new job, especially if it is a new job role which may be out of their comfort zone. Make their transition and fresh start as smooth and successful as possible.
That is why having a process which effectively helps in onboarding new employees or updating current staff is so vital.
That’s right! Onboarding can be applied to any role, whether it be a new hire or an already existing one who has been promoted or changed roles within the company.
By following these 8 simple steps, hopefully you should have a better understanding on how you can provide your very own effective onboard process and lead a successful and happy team behind you.
Many businesses may overlook the onboarding process with their new employees, but studies have shown that your new employee is 69% more likely to stay with your business for three years or more if they were given a successful onboarding process.
