How To Take Your Employee Onboarding Program To The Next Level

Employee onboarding is one of the key aspects of the HR process. Over the past decade, organizations of all sizes have realized the value of having onboarding programs in place. Such programs can improve engagement, boost retention and elevate the overall experience of new employees. In the long run, they can actually help businesses to cut down their operational expenses. But everything boils down to the efficacy of these programs, which is actually hard to achieve. Most of the organizations struggle to stay on track, which can lead to concerns like low engagement and below par experiences. The key lies in identifying the ways to take your employee onboarding program to the next level. Let us share some measures that can help in this context.

Start with preboarding

The conventional way to onboard a new hire does not include pre-boarding but this is something that can make a huge difference. Essentially, preboarding is all about making the person feel at home before he or she joins the organization. It includes interactions from the time of accepting the position to the time of joining. Communicating regularly with the potential employee during this period makes them feel connected and reduces their anxiety and uncertainty. They will probably feel comfortable soon after they join. They may even start delivering the productivity you are looking for sooner than expected.

Make conscious efforts to connect

Essentially, onboarding is a human process rather than a technical one. So making it more people-oriented is the key to making it successful. You need to ensure that your HR managers make a conscious effort to connect with new recruits. It is crucial to make them feel comfortable in the new place and this is possible only if your leaders, managers, and the team go the extra mile to socialize. Encourage new employees to interact and let them know where they can seek help. Socializing reduces stress and anxiety people often relate to the new environment.

Have a buddy/mentor for each new joiner

Setting up a buddy system as a part of the program is another good measure to make it better. Basically, you assign a “buddy” or partner to every new hire for helping them through the first few days at the organization. The buddy can assist them to navigate the office, connect them with other employees and team members and share some work tips and tricks as well. While a buddy is often a peer, you can also assign a veteran to act as a mentor to guide the employees as they learn the ropes in the early stages.

Invest in an onboarding software platform

The focus should not only be on enhancing the experience of the people joining the workforce but also easing the job of your HR department. Investing in a software platform that simplifies the program can help you take it to the next level. Considering the increased employee onboarding benefits such a solution can yield, it is a small investment. It automates the entire process, saving time and money. At the same time, you get the benefits of higher productivity and retention as compared to conventional onboarding.

Design a program that prioritizes engagement

If you want the program to work, design one that is engaging enough to wow new recruits. Additionally, it should be creative and consistent. You can go one step ahead by implementing innovative methods that have the potential for making the program more exciting and interactive. Some examples of such methods are virtual workplace walkthroughs, gamification, introductory webinars, microlearning training and introduction to social media groups for new employees.

Let your culture be a part of the program

Speaking honestly, only a presentation showing the core values of your company will not suffice when it comes to making new people conscious of your work culture. New employees are more than interested in knowing if the work culture of the company works for them. As a result, it is a good idea to weave your culture within the onboarding program. For example, if safety is an integral part of your work culture, you can introduce people who have been given safety awards as an appreciation of their actions.

Building a satisfied workforce should be the objective of any organization because it ensures growth and a good reputation. While retaining the existing workforce is important, a great deal also depends on how you are able to manage the new hires. These measures have the potential to take your onboarding program a long way. Obviously, embracing them will give you more benefits that you can expect.

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