Did you know that 69 percent of employees are more likely to continue working at your business for three years are longer if your company’s onboarding process is smooth and helpful? It is a huge mistake to underestimate what good employee onboarding will do for your business or organization.
New hires are going through a lot, and taking the time to make your new employees feel valued and welcomed creates a strong foundation for the working relationship you’ll have with them. It is also the springboard into your employee training process and will help them grow into the company’s culture and values.
The good news is that you’re in the perfect spot to learn some helpful tips for your employee onboarding strategy that you should start implementing sooner than later. Keep reading this article for 13 helpful tips for improving your onboarding process today!
1. Prepare Internally
There is a lot that goes into getting new employees up and running at your business. Employee training is a small part of getting these new hires into a position where they can start providing value and getting up to speed.
The most important part of the onboarding process is getting your side of things ready. If your new employee gets a work laptop then you need to have that website set up for them to use on their first day. You should also make sure that all of the software programs that they’ll need for their job are already loaded and ready to go.
It creates a horrible first impression if your new hire shows up on day one and nothing is ready for them. They’ll start to lose confidence in the company that hired them and reconsider whether or not they want to work there.
Start by making a desk assignment for the new employees that you’re bringing into the fold. You should also set up any and all technology that they’ll need at their desk so that everything is ready for the employee training process.
Another thing that you should remember to do is get their company email set up. Most companies require an employee email for everything from logging into the work computer to working and collaborating with coworkers. It is also important to remember to give the new hires a welcome gift that includes some company swag to build that feeling of belonging.
2. Send New Hire Paperwork Sooner
You should also make life easier for your business as well as your new hires by sending the new hire paperwork sooner. Many companies make the mistake of waiting to handle the new hire paperwork until the first day on the job. That creates an overwhelming first day for your new hires and it cuts into valuable time that could get used for employee training.
No one wants to spend a few hours of their first day filling out confusing documents for employment. Technology allows for quick and easy new hire paperwork processing. You can send the paperwork to the new hire’s email and have them fill it out on their own time leading up to the first day.
It is important that you get all of the most important new hire documents taken care of. You’ll want to have the new hire fill out any tax documents like the W-4 and any legal documents. If your company has a non-compete agreement then you should also have the new hire take care of it before the first day on the job.
Make sure that you also send the employee handbook and the employment contract to the new hire. You’ll save both parties some headaches and a ton of valuable time.
3. Communicate the Key Information to New Hires
The main goal of your business’s onboarding process is to make your new employees feel valued and welcome at your organization. You want them to feel comfortable and confident in their new role. It is impossible to create these feelings and that environment if you don’t communicate in a clear and easy fashion with your new hires.
There are multiple reasons why you need to communicate in a clear manner with new hires, like sharing new information about the company with them. It is also your chance to share your thoughts and expectations with the new employees when it comes to their new position.
It is also a good idea to introduce your new hires to all of their new coworkers and managers. It will help them get a sense of belonging when they’re introduced to their new team.
There are also some personalized measures that you can take, such as a welcome note from the owner or CEO of the company. Make sure that they’re also educated on the advancement opportunities and bonuses that are available to them when they work at your business.
A great option for communicating with your new hires is through employee onboarding software. Take a look at what WorkBright.com can do to help your business with employee onboarding.
4. Prepare Your Team
You’re setting everyone up for an awkward moment if you introduce new hires to their team without giving either party advance notice. Your existing team will feel weird because they’re kept out of the loop when it comes to the new hire. The new hire will feel slighted and unwelcome since no one was expecting them.
The key to the onboarding process is making your employee feel welcome and happy at your business. It is smart to let your existing team know that you’re looking to add to the team as soon as you post the job. You should also explain the new hire’s role on the team to the existing team members.
If you want the team to work well together then you should schedule some time for the current team members to spend time with new hires and build a relationship with them.
5. Have a Welcome Breakfast
Taking steps to have welcoming aspects of your employee onboarding like a welcome breakfast will go a long way when it comes to keeping your best new hires. Little touches like welcome breakfasts and personalized notes make your new hires feel special. It is not only a great way to treat them to a meal but it offers a chance to socialize with their new coworkers.
Don’t be surprised when you hear your new hires say things like “I’m so happy that I chose to work at this company!” The little touches are just as important as the employee training process when it comes to getting your new hires to commit to your organization.
6. Assign New Hires a Mentor
Having a mentor is a great idea for any new hires that your business hires. A mentor is a go-to person that the new hires can talk to when they have questions or concerns. Anyone that has been through the new hire process knows that it will make your head spin when you’re first getting started.
Many people start a new job with zero friends or acquaintances there. It is hard feeling alone with no one to help you navigate getting started in your new setting and position. Try to find someone within the new hire’s department to act as their mentor and help them settle into the position.
The mentor will have responsibilities of their own, like helping the new hires adjust to their new business settings as well as providing employee training on the different processes and programs. It is also their responsibility to answer any questions related to job tasks and company policies.
7. Get the New Hires Excited
Getting new hires excited is another important component of the onboarding process. In addition to getting the employee up to speed on what is expected, you need to place a huge emphasis on getting your new hires excited about the chance to work for you. You might be convinced that you’re working for an amazing company, but it will take time to get your new hires to that point.
If they’ve worked for other companies then they’re likely to come in for their first day with a healthy dose of skepticism. Many people question whether or not they’ve made the right choice on their first day at a new job. Try putting a fun video together that tells new hires all about your company’s history, culture, and values.
It is also smart to talk about the benefits that come with working for your company or organization. If you have a rewards program for your best employees then tell them about it and what it takes to win these awards.
8. Encourage Relationship-Building
You want the new hire to feel like they’re part of a family when they join your organization. If you want to accomplish that then you need to encourage the building of new relationships within the organization. Even if it is with people that work in a different department, it is wise to create friendships within the company.
Coworkers that know each other and enjoy working with each other will be much more productive than employees that don’t know anyone around them. It also makes collaboration on big projects much easier since everyone is familiar with their coworkers.
Make it a point to introduce your new hires to people in different departments, including the managers of those departments. It will allow them to forge relationships all over the office and feel like they’re part of something larger than themselves.
9. Use Interactive Learning
Interactive learning is a new concept when it comes to employee training and the employee onboarding process. If you’re looking to make your company a fun place to work then you need to start implementing interactive learning in your onboarding process. You don’t have to limit the fun at your business to office nights out.
Some companies are implementing a scavenger hunt for new hires that allows them to get to know their coworkers and learn all about the company’s history and values. It is a great way for them to explore the company and learn more about what they’re working for and working towards.
Other fun ways that you can incorporate interactive learning are with a company trivia challenge. They can ask their mentor or other employees for help with solving these company trivia questions. Using fun games is one of the best ways to make employee onboarding effective and fun for all of your new employees.
10. Give New Employees Control
One thing that new hires want is the ability to learn at their own pace. If you want to take your employee onboarding to an entirely new level then you need to give your employees more control over their employee training and learning. People don’t like feeling rushed, and rushing new hires through the training process is a sure way to turn them off or make them regret accepting your offer.
If employees feel like their heads are spinning while taking in all of the important information during their first week at the job then allow them to slow things down so that they absorb the information. A great idea is to take time to set up modules for employee training.
These modules will allow employees to learn everything that they need in order to do their job while going at a pace that is comfortable for them. It is a waste of time to throw a ton of new information onto an employee if they can’t absorb any of it. Job shadowing is another great strategy for employee training since it allows them to see what it takes to do the job.
Upgrade Your Employee Onboarding Process for New Hires
Taking steps to upgrade the onboarding process for your organization’s new hires will go a long way towards allowing you to keep your best workers. You need to take steps to make new employees feel welcomed and valued when they start their new job. You should also do your best to get new employee paperwork done ahead of the first day so that you can focus on introductions.
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