When you think of onboarding, you think of a boring orientation training session at a company that everyone wants to get through as quickly as possible: not a pleasant, engaging experience that will make your new team member look forward to starting their career at a new company. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Did you know that more than half of companies prioritize protocols and paperwork when onboarding new employees? This approach isn't very helpful for new hires, managers, and HR specialists. Many employees are likely to change jobs quickly if the onboarding process is demotivating. Managers are swamped with everyday duties, calls, and putting out fires – so it's difficult for them to remember every new person and maintain a high drive for showing them around if it’s 5 new people coming each month. It's even more challenging for hiring managers and buddies with many new joiners.
It's critical to give new employees a warm welcome to motivate them and increase their interest in the workplace. But how do you manage to provide efficient but personalized orientation with everyday tasks, stress and too many people joining each month? How do you go about a proper onboarding plan? In our brief manager onboarding guide to the new employee onboarding process, you'll find the answers you're looking for.
All efforts aimed at familiarizing the new employee with the business policies, environment, and requirements of the new position are referred to as new joiner orientation.
The primary goal of an orientation plan is to reduce the time it takes for new hires to reach the desired level of productivity for their positions. You want the new hires to feel comfortable, build relationships with their new team, and be better prepared for the tasks ahead. They build a commitment to the company and develop a sense of ownership. All of this will pay off in the future.
Now comes the tricky part. Contrary to popular misconception, a good employee onboarding process flow does not have to be a slog or feel like just another cog in the wheel. It can be customized and fun for everyone involved - the new employee, the manager, the colleague, and HR.
Did you know that motivational HR software like Grow Uperion ensures that the entire process is more effective by presenting the company's goals and values in a stimulating and fun way? We know that starting a new job while getting to know a new place, new people, and the local way of working is very stressful. It can also be overwhelming for managers and colleagues to focus on each person as many new employees join each month. HR Employees have their hands full.
But we have a solution. Gamification makes a busy employee want to participate in onboarding new employees, and new joiners feel well cared for and guided - and therefore more likely to stay with the company long-term. With a gamification platform, the whole process is enjoyable and engaging and, above all, greatly facilitates the orientation of a new hire into the company culture. This definitely relieves the burden on employees involved in the employee onboarding process. It also allows to standardize the whole process, ensuring that every employee starts with the same pool of information, which is not often the case.
Let us try it out and dive into our tips for a great step-by-step onboarding process.
The first important aspect to consider here is dividing the onboarding process into three phases - preboarding, the first day on the job, and actual onboarding on site. This is critical because each member of the process - new employee, HR, manager, and buddy - has different roles and responsibilities in each phase. If you plan these phases well and incorporate gamification into them, you can expect interesting, challenging and effective processes for everyone. This checklist will also work well s a new manager onboarding guide to show how to approach the whole process from different perspectives.
This is a big moment for your new employee! Also, in the best interest of your company, this is your chance to give your new employee the best possible first impression of working with you. This stage may not seem like a big deal, but the way the HR team guides the new person before they start work can make a big difference in employee engagement, retention, and future productivity. We all hate pre-employment misinformation, the lack of a consistent platform, and sending multiple emails to HR with questions about the contract and practical information, right?
The first day at work is often hectic and intimidating. Before the first day on the job, make sure the new employee knows what to do on the first day and what the orientation process will be. As a manager, remember to complete the necessary paperwork but do not forget to be open and human - give them a tour of the office or get to know the team online through a fun game: and make them feel welcome. This is where the buddy is a great help and a person to guide them through the difficult early days.
During this time, things get serious. The new employee should be given the opportunity to perform meaningful work, learn about and use the tools needed to complete the tasks, and become acclimated to the workplace. A buddy should always be available to answer myriad questions and offer help with tools to reach people and processes. The manager's job is to monitor the employee's progress, train them and let them become self-sufficient over time. Well-being is also an important point here.
A well-structured employee onboarding program paves the way for new hire recognition, productivity and overall employee retention. If you have a small number of employees joining your company on a regular basis, this can be easily accomplished. But as the number of employees grows, you need help controlling and managing the entire onboarding process. A good onboarding checklist can help with this.
Considering the benefits, it's worth rethinking your company's onboarding process and investing in a proven and effective platform that can take your onboarding strategy to the next level. Interested?
Take a look at our offer to quickly create an effective and engaging onboarding system for your team - both office-based and remote.
While introducing continuous employee training programme requires investment in time and capital, its advantages can easily outshine the problems. Discover the benefits of long-term employee development.
Discover which employee benefits can help your company succeed by luring top people and keeping them on board.
Improve your workplace buddy system to help new hires and their buddies, speed up onboarding, and bring more value to the business.