Onboarding or ‘inductions’ are they are previously known, are currently a hot topic in the world of HR. The employment market is now very much balanced towards being the choice of potential employees rather than employers. This is why it is so important to get your onboarding programme right and this process (pre-boarding) begins as soon as your offer to your potential employee is accepted. Consistent communication is key right from the very beginning of your employment relationship.
What is Onboarding
New employee onboarding is the process of integrating a new employee into your company and its culture, as well as ensuring that your new recruit has the tools and information they need, to become a successful member of your team. Onboarding is a strategic process that can last up to 12 months and how an employer handles the first few days and months of a new employee’s experience, is crucial in ensuring they are successful in terms of becoming embedded into your organisation, including your vision and values and culture.
Getting started with the Onboarding Process
I believe that finding the best candidates for your business is only part of what it takes to build an effective team. The process of onboarding new employees can be one of the most critical factors in ensuring that new recruits will be productive, happy workers. 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years or more, if they have experienced an outstanding onboarding process.
Before implementing a formal onboarding programme, employers need to consider some key questions to ensure a robust and achievable onboarding process, which may include the following:
- When will your onboarding process start? As soon as the job offer is made or their first day at work?
- How long will it last? Will there be a schedule of reviews throughout the probationary period?
- Will you assign a buddy/mentor to your new recruit? Would it be better to start them on a Tuesday?
- What impression do you want new employees to walk away with at the end of their first day?
- What do your new employees need to know about the culture and work environment?
- What role will HR play in the process? What about senior management and colleagues?
- Will a bespoke training plan run alongside the onboarding process?
- What objectives do you want to set for new employees, and at what stage in the process?
- How will you gather feedback on the programme and measure its success?
Once these questions have been answered, HR professionals and senior management can then work together to devise a structured plan that meets the new employees’ expectations and business needs.
Success
Ultimately success can be measured by not only employee engagement or staff retention figures, but also by how quickly your new recruit feels embedded into the very heart of your organisation. An effective onboarding programme is one that starts from the moment they accept your job offer, and it is so important to bear in mind the five C’s of successful onboarding when planning your programme:
- Compliance
- Clarification
- Culture
- Connection
- Continuity
A final point to remember is that your onboarding process is not set in stone, and you should actively seek feedback from current employees so that the programme can be enhanced and continually evolve as your organisation grows and changes.
For more information or support on Onboarding please give us a call on 01274 864999.
