What is onboarding?
Onboarding is the process of integrating a new employee into an organisation. Ideally it should take a minimum of three months, but extending it to a full 12 months can be very beneficial to both the employee and the company, having a positive effect on job satisfaction and employee retention.
Prepare for the arrival of your new recruit
Once a job offer has been accepted and the salary agreed, start preparing for the arrival of your new team member. Send new starter forms to them beforehand to allow time to read and complete them in advance of their first day. Order all of the equipment they need and get everything set up so they have the logins and passwords necessary for their role. Communicate the date of their first day to the rest of the team.
Make them feel welcome and included from day one
Most people starting a new job will have a few first day nerves, so a warm welcome is key to helping them settle in. Introduce them to all the members of their new team and don’t forget those who are remote working. It’s nice to show them around the whole business but remembering everyone’s names can be a bit overwhelming to start with.
Assigning an onboarding buddy is a great way to educate your new starter about the daily work processes, help them get to know their new team and learn about the culture of the company, and give them someone to direct any questions to.
Remember to let them know about the perks of the job. There’s no point in having company benefits if you don’t promote them!
Set clear objectives
Making the onboarding process personal to each new recruit is crucial to its success, and part of this should be setting clear aims and objectives specific to their role that allow them to get stuck in to their work with enthusiasm and purpose. Without clear objectives, your new recruit can be left feeling uncertain of what’s expected and unsure how to focus their time.
Provide constructive feedback
Set aside time for regular one-to-ones to enable you to give constructive feedback and keep your new team member motivated. Remember to recognise and reward great work. Regular catch-ups are also an opportunity to identify training requirements that will help your new recruit to meet their targets.
Working towards a common goal
Make sure you let your new recruit know about the company’s aims and objectives for the future. Keeping everyone focused on a common goal will help build team spirit, increase motivation and ultimately improve the bottom line.
