Effective onboarding is crucial for welcoming new hires and ensuring their seamless integration into your organization. But putting a new plan into action can be challenging. Onboarding is often part of a larger staffing plan and it interacts with many stakeholders – HR, payroll, benefits, marketing, digital, sales, training, and IT (logins, access, accounts, etc.).
Let’s take a look at the steps you can take to optimize your onboarding process, maximizing employee engagement from the first day.
Create Tailored Plans
Onboarding shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all experience. Everyone needs the same basic information about your company’s history and mission, as well as details about payroll and paid time off (PTO). However, not everyone needs the same training modules. Some new employees will have different career paths and opportunities inside the company. Take time to describe how a person can progress through responsibilities. Figure out what new employees in each department really need to know, and tailor your onboarding plans accordingly.
Leverage Technology
In today’s tech-driven world, there is no reason for your employees to spend their first day filling out a bunch of onboarding paperwork. Send digital documents to new hires ahead of time, and give them the ability to fill them out and return them online. Even better? Set up an onboarding website with automated pathways for new hires in each department to follow. This makes the paperwork part of the process faster and less onerous for both new employees and your HR department.
Focus on the Welcome
With the paperwork out of the way, you can turn onboarding day into something fun and exciting. Match each new hire with a buddy who can show them the ropes. Assign them a mentor. Take them to lunch or have it catered. Give workplace tours. Ask representatives of important workplace groups, such as your diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) council, to give short talks. If you host a sports league or gaming group, provide information on how to sign up. In short, spend the day helping new hires feel like part of the team.
Too many employers treat onboarding as an afterthought or fill that day with information overload and endless paperwork. Tailoring your plans, using technology, and focusing on the welcome will help set up your new hires for long-term success.
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