According to Talya N. Bauer, ‘research and conventional wisdom both suggest that employees get about 90 days to prove themselves in a new job’ (N. Bauer, T. (21n.d.). Onboarding New Employees: Maximizing Success. SHRM Foundation).
Win the hearts and minds of new employees with exceptional onboarding
If we consider that the number one reason why employees leave work is due to their relationship with others, it’s easy to understand the impact the onboarding process has on happiness and productivity. Yet, not enough time is invested in this process. It happens organically, or at least it did, until recently when the world switched to a remote work setting. Nevertheless, statistics still show the importance of an effective onboarding process, as 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experienced a great onboarding. Onboarding is a prime opportunity for employers to win the hearts and minds of new employees.
What is the onboarding process?
Onboarding is the first step in admitting a new employee into the work environment. It can often be stressful for the newcomer and for other employees. However, if done correctly, it can improve the company’s retention rate. To achieve team synergy in every change, in this case the integration of a new team member, onboarding must be performed smoothly and without disruption of the existing interpersonal relationships or work process.
Phases of onboarding
1. Orientation
It includes the introduction of the supervisor to the employee, introduction to coworkers, instructions on the dress code, code of conduct, a review of the company’s policies and a company overview.
In the current era of remote work, it’s a must to have some sort of supporting infrastructure (e.g. application) to ensure the process is performed thoroughly and efficaciously, whilst at the same time allowing for some online interaction between the newcomer and coworkers. Vault is a web-based app that has checklists for onboarding which contain steps, documentation, and different visual aids, so that you can simplify and keep track of the orientation process and keep track of it.
2. Training for a specific job position
This is the second step where an employee learns how to perform daily tasks, utilize the technology, request time off, and do administrative tasks such as record the amount of time they worked for. Newcomers will also learn about job/business process organization, occupational health, and safety.
3. Transition
This phase lasts for 3 to 4 months. The supervisor and employee closely work together to define the employee’s role in the organization and help them adjust and develop soft skills and effective communication channels. Hence, the importance of evaluations and interaction between the team members and a supervisor. Another challenge of remote work which can be mediated by an onboarding application such as Vault is the use of evaluations, performance tracking and tokens of appreciation to aid the development of soft skills and communication.
4. Further development
The fourth and final stage consists of creating long-term goals with the employee for personal growth and aligning them with the company’s long-term plans. This requires some time and feedback in terms of periodical evaluation of an employee’s performance and an assessment of the employee-job-organization fit. It’s an ongoing process.
Onboarding process length
As previously mentioned, the onboarding process comes in phases with their own timing and depends on the company size, position, business processes and organization.
With access to the right tools, the process can be shortened, organized, easy to track, and it can help you avoid missing any important steps. The ideal tool will have an onboarding checklist, an evaluation process in place, and ways to support the company culture and communication.
Onboarding checklists - what is it, how does it help, and benefits
Checklists are a helpful tool during the onboarding process, especially when created for the newcomer and the manager as they list respective tasks that they should complete for each step of the onboarding process. Having the checklist always on hand, e.g. on a mobile device, makes it an on-the-spot process which can provide information instantly.
Nevertheless, the major benefit of having an onboarding checklist is that anyone can do it by themselves. A checklist is one of the ways an organization can store tangible and intangible knowledge and/or skills and share it. Finally, having small and repetitive tasks on the list ensures that they won’t be forgotten.
Read on: The power of checklists.
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What makes an onboarding experience good?
Recently, a lot of companies have been hiring intensively. Initially, the most important step is having everything prepared in advance for the employees. This is so they can use applications and equipment, have the necessary information and documents, and perform tasks from day one. The key here is the organization, creating a checklist with repetitive tasks can be a game changer.
Making information available to the newcomer is important, almost as important as not overwhelming them with information. Having a support system for new employees will keep the onboarding process running smooth even if you onboard newcomers remotely.
How to make an employee’s first day memorable
The first day for a newcomer can be stressful since they’re not familiar with the organization yet. This gives the company a chance to make a good first impression. The key is to make them like what they see: location, atmosphere, team, workflow, and company culture. Be sure to have everything ready so that the onboarding process can smoothly move step to step.
Read on: How to prolong your coffee break.
Can onboarding software like Vault help?
Most definitely! Having an application that can help each member with the onboarding process can save everyone a significant amount of time, make the process less stressful and ensure everything’s been covered.
It keeps information in one place which is available to access in real time, it allows for the monitoring of progress, reduces or eliminates the amount of time wasted between tasks, keeps documents well organized, and notifies each participant in the onboarding process when they need to take action. Most importantly, it’s a necessity as more and more companies transition into some form of partial or full remote employment.
Contact us and find out how Vault can help you.
