How to Onboard New Employees?

With increasing employee turnover, it is not surprising that employers are now transforming their onboarding and orientation process to convert new hires into happy and high-performing employees who stay.

How to Onboard New Employees?

Here are 7- Onboarding steps to ensure that your new employee starts right and stays productive:

1. Welcome Announcement

   According to a study published by the Aberdeen Group, 86% respondents stated that a new hire decides to stay with an organization in the long-term, within the first six months of joining.

    

   To kick-off the onboarding checklist, you would need to draft a welcome announcement email for your team that includes the basic information of your new hire like:

   Name:

   Position:

   Start Date:

   Personal Information: (Here you can include the new hire’s hobbies or anything that will help the team understand how they can connect with the new hire)

2. Keep all the Paperwork Ready and Prepare the Workstation Prior to Day 1

   83% of highly successful organizations start their onboarding process before day 1 by giving new hires a warm welcome and taking care of administrative matters well in advance.

    

   This requires that your very first impression makes a lasting impact.

   • Start by keeping the new hire engaged till you bring him/her onboard.
   • Make sure all your first-day formalities are in place and keep all the necessary documents like W-4, insurance forms, non-disclosure agreements, direct deposit forms and relevant papers in one place.
   • Make sure there is someone assigned to greet the new hire and to help them get settled on day 1.
   • Make sure the workstation is ready with a fully-functional computer, email and network access, a phone, and essential office supplies.

3. Provide a Complete Job Description with Detailed Responsibilities

   Employees who are made to actively participate in a well-developed onboarding program are 69% more likely to stick to a company for at least 3 years.

    

   • Start with an organizational tour where you personally introduce the new hire to team members and different departments.
   • Discuss the role and project goals, and also tell the new hire how they will fit in with the organization while explaining your expectations.
   • Finally, run the new hire through IT procedures and relevant policies.

4. Give a Comprehensive Introduction of all the Tools Used

   Big companies lose as many as 15% of their employees every year and this is huge cost

    

   • Ensure that every new hire is trained to use the platforms and tools that your team relies on for accomplishing day-to-day tasks.
   • Devote adequate resources to make sure the new hire learns to use the technology that runs your operations.

5. Orientation of the Company Culture

   The cost of replacing an entry-level position is almost 30-50% of the annual salary for that position

    

   Prepare a comprehensive orientation package that contains

   • The employee handbook
   • Detailed company information
   • A complete organizational chart
   • Links to essential resources
   • An outline of company-wide HR policies

6. Arrange for Required Training

   An effective onboarding plan can increase your employee retention rate by 25% and boost employee productivity by 11%.

    

   • Create adequate space in the mentor’s calendar for comprehensive training on tools and techniques that are directly related to the job role.
   • Have a solid training program in place and make sure the training leaves no lingering questions or concerns on completion.

7. Touch Base to Make Sure They’re Comfortable and not Confused

   Each year more than $10,000 is wasted on poor employee onboarding practices.

    

   • Follow up with new hires about a month to ensure they feel welcome and look forward to working with you.
   • Also let them know that you are available to help them with anything they need as this will make them feel important.

Instead of having your new hires sit through an endless induction process, revamp it to include hands-on training, mentorship and socialization so that they stay productive and contribute to the success of your organization.

Kelly Barcelos

Kelly Barcelos is a progressive digital marketing manager specializing in HR and is responsible for leading Jobsoid’s content and social media team. When Kelly is not building campaigns, she is busy creating content and preparing PR topics. She started with Jobsoid as a social media strategist and eventually took over the entire digital marketing team with her innovative approach and technical expertise.