Industry:HR Compliance Added By:Admin Posted On:Feb. 3, 2020
Running a successful employee onboarding process can feel routine. But what about the duties that come after the first day? From hiring the right candidate to helping her settle in, there is more to onboarding than many HR teams plan for. This guide walks through the stages HR handles when onboarding new employees.
Employee onboarding is the process of bringing new employees into an organization. It runs from the release of the offer letter until the employee becomes productive or is made permanent. Training, orientation, the training plan, performance metrics and a feedback loop all fall under onboarding.
Onboarding matters partly because some candidates accept an offer and then back out at the last moment, sometimes on the joining date itself. HR is hit hardest when this happens, because it runs the interviews and would have to repeat the whole scheduling and interviewing process from scratch.
Some organizations treat onboarding as a one-day event, while others take up to 18 months to bring employees fully on board. Whatever the length, a key goal is to make new employees comfortable as they are introduced to the work environment and their new colleagues.
The better your onboarding goes, the more positive feedback you will get on your practices. If something goes wrong, it may be time to change your approach. Asking new hires and their managers what worked and what didn’t is the quickest way to find out where the process needs attention.
The following steps help HR run a smooth onboarding process.
Once a candidate is selected, the offer is released with the joining date and salary structure. Onboarding begins here. If there is a long gap between the offer date and the joining date, HR should stay in regular contact with the candidate and record any updates about offer acceptance. A short call or email during this period keeps the candidate engaged and gives HR early warning if they are having second thoughts.
This is one of the most important stages, because everything that follows depends on the candidate accepting. While the candidate takes time to decide, HR can plan the next steps for when the offer is accepted. This includes preparing paperwork, arranging equipment and system access, and letting the hiring manager and team know when to expect their new colleague.
Even after a candidate accepts, there is a real chance they will not show up on the joining date. HR can use the waiting period between acceptance and joining to draw up a tentative schedule for the training and onboarding program the new employee will follow. Having that schedule ready shows the new hire that the organization is prepared for them, which makes a strong first impression.
Orientation follows joining. It includes training, an overview of the organization’s culture and an introduction to company goals. It also covers the teams within the company, team processes and company policies.
Orientation plays a central role in onboarding. It connects the new hire with the organization’s culture and gives them a broader picture of where they fit and what the organization offers them.
During the new hire’s first quarter, HR can ask what they think of the company and where they see themselves in the future. HR should review the employee’s performance with them and give feedback at the same time.
HR can also ask how the onboarding program could be improved, and should be ready to offer additional training if the employee asks for it. Feedback from recent hires is one of the best sources of ideas for improving the program for the next group of employees.
Onboarding says a lot about how a company treats new candidates and employees in their first days. With a clear plan and schedule, it helps HR hire and keep the right people faster. Many organizations have found that a well-planned onboarding strategy pays off.