Employee onboarding is the process of integrating new employees into your company.
This mainly involves making your new employees familiar with their workspace, company policies, and the company culture.
Research shows that employees who felt their onboarding was effective were more likely to feel committed to the organization. Onboarding is a strategic, comprehensive process that can last up to a year.
It’s important to remember that using a new hire checklist template doesn’t mean onboarding should be treated as a simple check-the-box activity.
Why efficient employee onboarding matters?
Employee onboarding is the first interaction an employee has with the organization right after the interview and offer process.
If the experience fails to live up to expectations, then your employee might regret their decision of accepting the job offer.
The negative impression left by a poor onboarding process might affect their perceptions, give them prejudiced notions about the organization, and ultimately cause them to quit early.
A solid employee onboarding process is necessary to help your new hires settle down in their jobs, get to know the organization, obtain clarity on their job objectives, and forge a good relationship with other employees.
A memorable onboarding experience not only makes employees feel welcome but also helps them gel with the existing organizational family faster.
Documents for On-Boarding
There is a range of onboarding documents that you need to provide new employees when they first join your company. Some are legal requirements; others relate to your company’s policies and procedures, and some are relevant to the role an employee will be undertaking.
Some of these documents are:
POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL
DISCIPLINARY CODE OF CONDUCT
INDUSTRY GOVERNED REGULATIONS
EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT
JOB DESCRIPTION
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN
SAFETY AND EVACUATION PLAN
Prior to the new employee’s first day, send an announcement to all employees, either in-person or via email, advising staff of the new person. The announcement should tell them the new employee’s role, a bit about their experience, what they’ll be doing at your company and encourage other employees to welcome them.
As a new employee, nothing is worse than not having the tools you need to be successful. Setting up the new employee’s computer, email, applications, and phone numbers ahead of time, and providing any necessary office supplies, can help a new colleague feel valued from day one.
Schedule some time for the new employee to meet with key people and departments on their first day. Although they may not remember everyone’s name, this will give them a good overview of where to go to get what they need.
Even if the employee has performed the same job function elsewhere, there are bound to be differences between companies. Having a training plan in place is a vital part of helping new employees find their feet in an organization. Training should cover company rules, processes, procedures, and expectations.
Even if the employee is doing well and you feel like they don’t need an evaluation, meet with them. This is an opportunity to learn more about your company’s onboarding process from the employee perspective. Find out what they liked and didn’t like about your process and make changes as you see fit.
The first few weeks are the most influential to a new hire’s outlook on the company - positive or negative - and sets the tone for their relationship with your business in the long-term.
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