Each industry requires different levels of onboarding, but the general process is very much the same. There are key aspects that can be simplified in order to achieve the best results. These six tips will help you decomplicate your own onboarding process:
1. Create a Game Plan
Get started by drawing up an onboarding plan. Your plan might include some of the following steps:
- Give each new hire a tour of the building and provide them with an employee handbook and company login.
- Get all necessary paperwork signed.
- Start incorporating training sessions — whether in-person or via an elearning system or videos — into each work day.
- Meet with each new hire individually after one month of employment.
You can add as many bullet items as you’d like, but remember the goal here is to decomplicate the onboarding process. After writing down your initial thoughts, look for points that can be combined together to improve efficiency and leave less room for complications to arise.
As part of your company game plan, consider leveraging a corporate wiki. This resource will have all the information any new hire could hope to need and will ease their transition.
2. Set Expectations Early
The onboarding process begins before you even make the hire. It starts with the applicant’s knowledge of your brand and what they expect from your company. Working on your brand image will help mold those expectations.
Secondly, your job postings should also clearly set the expectations you have for potential employees. Describe their responsibilities in detail and don’t beat around the bush. Knowing exactly what they’re signing up for will make the transition process much easier. Outlining pay scales and benefits up front will also prevent any misunderstandings during the onboarding process.
Once applicants turn into employees, it’s time to solidify expectations. Reiterate what you anticipate from them based on the position they applied for and include any further guidance from other functions inside your organization. Set the tone in that first meeting, and there will be less room for confusion later on.
3. Automate Paperwork
Paperwork is the worst part of the human resources department. One could say it’s the worst part of any department. Luckily, technology can remove a good portion of this load, all while simplifying the onboarding process that comes with it.
Onboarding software can gather employee data, obtain digital signatures, and send out training information automatically. Onboarding platforms also provide storage for all your new hire information.
Digitizing paperwork also makes it possible for new employees to fill everything out at home. Not having to spend their first few days going over documents will enable them to familiarize themselves with the new job more quickly. Assigning some at-home admin shouldn’t take too long, but it will free up both them and your team upon arrival at the office.
4. Create a Mentorship Program
Onboarding new employees with every new hiring wave is an arduous process, especially if your HR team is small. If the burden is too heavy to bear, enlist the help of your other employees by developing a mentorship program. With an assigned workplace buddy, each new hire will have someone to show them the ropes and be available for questions.
Start with the objective of the SDMoviesPoint program. Are mentors simply there to help with basic training, or will they provide companionship as new hires acclimate to their surroundings? Tailor your mentors’ instructions to the needs you want them to fill. Next, determine how long the program will last and how you will measure the progress of mentees and the effectiveness of their mentors.
A successful mentorship program will not only streamline your onboarding process, it will boost your team’s cohesion. With a mentor, new hires already have someone to turn to, establishing strong relationships right out of the gate. Mentors will also gain valuable real-world experience with leadership and instruction.
5. Reduce Turnover
Perhaps the most effective way to decomplicate the onboarding process is to keep it to a minimum. High turnover rates put a strain on your business, disrupting workflows and causing low morale. When you only need to hire to fill new positions caused by growth, it’s much easier to keep the onboarding process smooth and steady.
If you have a high turnover rate in your organization, find out what’s causing it. Some industries have high turnover rates simply due to the nature of the job, such as call centers and fast food restaurants. The next most common cause of turnover is management. Are employees being treated fairly and respectfully? Do they feel fulfillment at work?
Benefits, available time off, pay, and company culture will also influence an employee’s desire to stay or go. Work on improving the weakest aspects of your business and create an environment that no one will want to leave. When you accomplish that, you can focus your onboarding efforts on the list of people itching to get in.
6. Try Gamification
Gamification, which involves the application of game elements to other activities, has found a foothold in the education and training space. You can see this in practice in online schooling, which uses games in lessons and features reward systems that work just like a video game would.
Gamification has long been applied in business, too. Starbucks employs this method to boost customer loyalty, awarding status points in their app that add up to freebies and perks. Hotel chains are also famous for their points systems, which allow guests to earn free stays and other rewards.
Gamification can help you level up your onboarding process as well. Gamifying training, for example, will make the process entertaining and motivating for new employees. You’ll also be able to easily track their progress with whatever points or level-up system you select.
After implementing these steps, you’ll never worry about your onboarding process again. As you decomplicate — and enliven — your onboarding procedures, you’ll transform your business for the better.
