Employee onboarding should be quite simple and straightforward and is if employers give it top priority and manage it efficiently. Being attentive to the onboarding requirements of your different hires, you help provide a positive employee experience and maximize the return on your hiring efforts. There are several considerations to make when onboarding staff; let’s examine 5 must do’s for any business to improve their onboarding processes for both new staff and the organization.
For Remote Workers, Modify Onboarding Materials
Gone are the days of mostly in person onboarding. If you have not already, review new hire materials and procedures for onboarding staff if being done so virtually. Although the content for onboarding may be the same or similar, onboarding remote staff differs from doing so in person.
Create digital files of any hard copies of contracts, employee handbooks, training manuals, and policy and procedure booklets (or provide virtual access to an online employee portal). Also, make sure to retain all signed agreements, insurance related information, and agreements electronically.
Create learning modules and training videos that staff members can finish on their own and keep track of their progress/completion. This will save managers time and assist them in determining which training materials the employee might require further explanation or coaching on.
Enabling Employees to Form Relationships
Friendships and relationships are essential to retention, whether it be through a new hire lunch (in person or virtually), a team-building activity, or deliberate introductions to team members. Introduce new hires to coworkers who can help them learn about the company and be their mentor.
Giving new recruits mentoring support will increase their comfort level, increase the likelihood that mentor-mentee connections will endure past new employee orientation, and increase chances for continued learning, support, and talent development. Both productivity and retention might benefit from giving new hires a mentor or peer buddy.
Choose Direct Communication
It’s simple to get sidetracked by the newest project and choose electronic communication over face-to-face interaction. Make sure to schedule time for regular check-ins to ensure that onboarding objectives are being reached and staff members are getting the feedback they require to keep moving ahead.
Establish Feedback Loops
Feedback is a crucial component of employee training and development since it is a quick and easy approach to learn what your employees need and how they feel about their workplace. In times of uncertainty when it’s difficult to foresee how employees will respond or what they might require from week to week, it’s crucial to cultivate a strong feedback culture.
Integrate feedback into your onboarding procedure to establish it as a part of company culture from the start. One-on-one meetings, goal and performance monitoring tools, and new employee questionnaires are just a few of the many ways to get feedback during onboarding.
Additionally, train new recruits on how to offer and receive feedback. Managers should also undergo training on goal-setting and coaching staff, especially new hires, on how to reach those goals.
Get your new hires to provide you feedback as soon as possible so you can tailor their onboarding experience to meet their specific needs, learn how to make the onboarding process better for future hires, and assist new hires in effectively adjusting to and developing in their roles.
Provide All Needed Resources
Being the newcomer to the team can be incredibly overwhelming and intimidating. Make sure your new employee is setup for success! Basic tools that provide guidelines and expectations such as your employee handbook, policies and procedures specific to all employees and the department that the new hire is in, company culture and values, computer credentials, and benefit information will help to ensure your new employee has the information and tools needed. Also, make sure that their workstation – at the office or remotely – has the basic tools to support the work they do. Encourage your new employee to reach out should they need any resources as they settle into their new role.
Conclusion
The foundation for an employee’s success starts with their onboarding process. For all new employees to your team, an onboarding plan and proper execution can provide a wonderful experience and a quicker ramp-up time.