So what is Onboarding? It’s the process of introducing a new employee into your company.
We don’t mean simply providing a brief induction; it’s a means of introducing the new member to your company and helping them to settle in quickly, allowing them to proceed successfully and productively in their new job role.
So let’s take a look at the onboarding process in a little more detail.
It’s very important to give thought to how you want to conduct you onboarding before it happens, planning will make the whole experience much easier. Onboarding is not just a case of getting HR tasks such as getting forms read and signed and when training should begin, there is so much more to consider than just meeting job requirements.
Prepare
To begin, before they start their new role, take time to think about the following:
- Make sure that they have a working email account and are set up with any important system logins that might be needed ahead of time. You don’t want to be stuck trying to arrange things when they arrive.
- Equipment, consider whether you will need to order new supplies to accommodate them, e.g, a desk, chair, phone, laptop or computer or any other tools they you think they may need.
- Where will they sit? Do they need to be close to a certain colleagues to carry out their work or will they need an office? Make sure their workstation is set up and is ready for them upon their arrival.
Be accommodating
Think about how your new starter will be feeling, they don’t know what to expect, what your their new colleagues will be like; so feeling nervous will be a given.
Make sure their is a friendly face that greets them when they first arrive and take them to where they need to be.
Explain what is Expected
The culture of a company is a vital aspect of its success, so take time to show your new starter around, explain the company’s values and discuss how they are put into action day-to-day.
Take this opportunity to cover any processes that you might have established to ensure your company culture is maintained.
You could include the following:
- How you expect employees to conduct themselves at work.
- Company relationship with customers and how they are handled.
- Attendance at company or team meetings.
Discuss the working environment
You want your new starter to settle in as quickly as possible, so taking time to discuss their new working environment and what is involved in imperative.
You may want to include:
- What their working pattern is.
- How long they get for lunch.
- Workplace policies and where they can be found.
- The process for booking holiday.
- The process to follow when they are sick.
- The dress code. Remember to be specific about the types of clothing that are and are not acceptable.
- How and when they will be paid.
And any other areas that you think are relevant to them when they start.
Discuss the role
There will be plenty of time to get to grips with their new position, but it doesn’t hurt to go over the basics of their role, including:
- Their job description.
- Key people who they should be aware of in the company and what their roles are.
- Key suppliers or customers and how they are handled.
- The company’s reporting structure and who their direct line of management is.
Remember if you want to retain new talent, making sure you deliver a thorough onboarding process is essential so that your new starters feel happy, welcome and more importantly that they want to stay!
If you require any help or guidance we have the Talent solutions for you, get in touch for more information.
