Onboarding is more than just training or arranging the right equipment and support tools. New hires want to feel welcome and connected to their new colleagues, they want to integrate as quickly as possible and gain insight into the company they are working for. Quite simply, if this doesn’t happen, you’ll be looking for their replacement in less than six months. Here are our essential tips to have you onboarding like a pro in no time at all!
Start on time
Onboarding begins the moment your new hire’s contract is signed – not their first day of work. Depending on their role, use the month or few weeks before their start date to create a direct connection, and to get some out of the admin out of the way so that they’re not overloaded with information on day one. Schedule an introductory meeting with yourself and the the rest of their team, send a welcome video with fun facts about the company or send a welcome pack to their home address. It’ll immediately help to make your new hire excited about their impending move.
Prepare
Make sure you have your onboarding program ready. How will you ensure that your new employee will feel involved? Have you organised an office tour, training days, time with IT to setup new equipment, meetings with their line manager and colleagues? This way, they’ll get to know their team and their new environment in a practical, hands-on way.
Appoint a mentor
More and more companies nowadays use a ‘buddy’, a personal mentor who introduces a new employee to the company. A buddy needs to be available for all business and work-related questions, and should be in a similar position to that of your new hire. So, don’t place a sales consultant with an administrative employee for example!
Keep communicating
Don’t think you’re done onboarding once your new employee has been trained. Schedule a meeting regularly – ideally monthly – and ask for feedback and points for improvement. Onboarding is a two-way street: not only does your new employee have to get to know you but you also need to get to know them. So, continue to communicate and guide them for at least the first couple of months in their new role.
Personalisation is key
Ideally, employees should be onboarded differently – an executive manager for example will receive more ‘red carpet’ treatment than a junior engineer for example. However, a lot of the generic content that needs to be communicated can be done through an online academy or learning management system such as SkillsTown. All important information can be presented here, and because it’s customised to the look and feel of your organisation, new employees are immediately introduced to your culture and the online learning environment of your company. Introduce your organisation by creating personalised content, providing insights into your business processes and systems. As an employer, this immediately shows that you invest a lot of time and energy in the development and training of your people.
Would you like to learn more about SkillsTown and what it can do for you? Contact us today for a free demo, we’d love to chat!
