Onboarding: The Importance of the Process and How to Prepare for It

• #HR

Onboarding is a crucial part of any employee’s career. Just like with social interactions, new employees make the first impression on the company during the first days in the new work. In this article, we’ll try to emphasize why the employee onboarding process is so important and tips on how the company can prepare for successful onboarding.

The meaning of the successful onboarding process

As mentioned before, a successful onboarding process guarantees that the new employee will feel welcomed and an equal player in the new team. This guarantees a feeling of belonging and could be a beautiful start to some meaningful work relations. Onboarding also introduces the values and the purposes of the company so that the new employee can see if the values match him or her.

Simple steps on how to prepare for successful onboarding:

• Start preparing as soon as possible. Ask the future employee to submit the necessary documents and prepare the documents necessary for employment.

• Send the necessary information before the first day of work. Inform the employee about the location of the workplace, the parking, when the employee should show up or when should the employee go online.

• Prepare a welcome package. If it is s according to your company policy, prepare a welcome package with the company merchandise. If you do not have any merch in your company, a small gift, and a personalized note will make the new employee feel welcome.

• Send a letter to the whole company about the new addition to the team. Inform the company about the new addition to your team on the new employee‘s first day! This letter should include the position of your employee, most of these letters also include a fun fact about the employee’s hobbies or personality.

• Introduce the new team member to the rest of the team. In the best-case scenario, set up a live meeting with the team in the office or another workplace.

• Clear responsibilities and goals. In most cases, the responsibilities for the positions are described in job ads or during job interviews. But make sure they are reminded of the new employee.

• Constantly keep in touch with the new employee. Set weekly meetings with the new employee so that you can know all of his or her successes and struggles. This will show your new employee that you really care about him or her and that you want him or her to succeed and improve.

• Give time and stay patient. Everyone is different, so everybody needs different periods of time to break through and learn the most important material for the new position.

• Meeting at the end of the probation period. The end of the probation period usually indicates a salary increase, but it is not just that. Your new employee needs feedback and the guarantee that he or she has lived up to your expectations as a manager.