In the digital era, employee onboarding has become one complicated procedure! There are dozens of steps you need to include to meet your legal and ethical requirements as well as your practical ones. You want employees to feel welcome and prepared; you want them to know who to reach out to if they get stuck and how to get started in their new position. The process can become complex and messy, and when that happens, there’s the risk that something has been left unsaid that is really important. To help mitigate these problems, the following will explore a few ways you can simplify the employee onboarding process.
Before Presenting Job Offers
It’s ideal to have an onboarding program that is streamlined and ready to go before you send out job offers. This way, you can include any documents and manuals you want your future employee to read over in tandem with the job offer. Having multiple email threads ongoing can be confusing and increase the risk that something is missed by your new hire. If everything is sent in a single email, there’s a much higher chance that each document will be given the attention it deserves.
Typical Elements To Include In Your Onboarding Package
When onboarding an employee, there are several things you want to include in a welcome package. There are likely a few documents required for payroll purposes (like W-4, I-9, and direct deposit paperwork). Some companies require staff to sign legal documents regarding non-disclosure agreements or other industry standards. Finally, many companies have employee handbooks or manuals that contain information on company policies regarding things like social media references, work-appropriate attire, working hours, benefits, and conduct with other employees. Non-discrimination and non-harassment policies should be included in these manuals.
If your new employee will be working at home or could be working at home, it’s vital that you detail the proper workstation setup. Employers are still legally responsible for workplace safety if staff are remote. Things like carpal tunnel syndrome from poor desk setup, for instance, can end up being your legal responsibility if you didn’t provide staff with approaches that can help protect them while they work. All workplace hazards need to be outlined and safety steps described in detail.
If this package is presented to employees before their first day, it can help smooth out a lot of the nerves that tend to come with starting a new job.
Training
Most jobs will require some on-the-job training. Not only do you want to standardize your training process, but you also want to work on training your trainers. The people charged with training need to know how to express and share ideas effectively with new staff in a friendly and non-judgemental manner. Trainers at Plenty Training emphasize that virtual and online training options are becoming more common. And remember, no matter what position you’re training someone for, workplace communication should be part of the education.
First Day Of Work
Your onboarding process should include steps for welcoming new employees on their first day. Ideally, this will involve multiple members of your staff. You want a particular mentor assigned to help guide the new hire, but they should be introduced to everyone that they will be working with. Introducing people face-to-face is best as it helps everyone better remember names. Telling someone they can ask Linda in marketing any questions they have is not as effective as walking them to marketing and introducing them to Linda and saying: “You can ask Linda any questions you have.”
Offer To Go Over The Handbook And Reiterate Rules
Once introductions have been made, you want to ask your new hire if they need any clarification on the handbook they read before coming in. You can answer those questions and revisit your company’s core principles and rules to help ensure they stick in your new employee’s memory.
Accept Feedback
After a new hire has been working for 90 days or more, it’s a good idea to check in with them about how they found the onboarding process. Perhaps they had a hard time finding their way around the building, and you need to revamp your tour or provide a map. Perhaps they didn’t know where to find office supplies and were bringing pens from home for the first month until they figured it out. Any feedback given should be applied to your onboarding process.
The above tips should help you construct a smooth onboarding process that can minimize time wasted and focus on employees feeling welcomed and comfortable. If you’re unsure of what to include, you can speak to members of staff about what they want new hires to know about their departments and positions.
