Welcome New Employees Aboard with a Thorough Onboarding

When a new hire is added to your team, it’s important to welcome them to your company in a way that not only makes them feel comfortable in their new surroundings, but also familiarizes them with your processes, policies and culture. As they learn the ropes, you’ll want to ensure they aren’t overwhelmed by new information and people all at once, so make introductions gradually so the new employee can ease into their new role. A thorough onboarding can last months but it’s worth the time investment because it sets an employee up for success by providing them with an overview of the company as a whole and where they fit into the machine that is your business. Onboarding, it has been shown, significantly increases worker engagement, satisfaction and retention, nurturing a sense of empowerment and belonging.

What does thorough onboarding look like? Effective onboarding is a process that gets a new employee up to speed and feeling like part of the team by managing or helping them navigate parts of the company with which they are unfamiliar. Some helpful onboarding practices include:

Preboarding - Unsurprisingly, there are many tasks that can be attended to before the employee’s first day. In fact, onboarding begins with the first welcome email you send them confirming start date and time and business address and which can include paperwork they need to fill out prior to beginning their employment. Setting up the employee’s workspace and technology access should be done prior to their arrival. Make certain to have the company handbook, an onboarding overview (so they’ll be aware of what the entire process will include), an organizational chart (so they’ll be able to see where they sit within the company), additional paperwork and a Day 1 and Week 1 agenda prepared. It’s also helpful to include resources and materials that illustrate the company culture so they can begin to understand and identify with the core values of their new workplace. A "swag bag" of company-branded goodies is a nice way to say, "Welcome aboard!"

First day - Give new employees time on the first day to acquaint themselves with the handbook and complete additional paperwork right off the bat. Arrange for the creation of I.D. credentials. Ensure the person to whom the new employee reports is free to meet them. Assign an experienced coworker of equal level to give them a tour of the facility and act as a mentor for the new hire so they have a familiar go-to person when questions arise.

As soon as possible - Have the employee meet with Human Resources so benefits can be discussed in full detail. Schedule the employee to attend any trainings on equipment, systems and procedures necessary to their position. Have the "higher-ups" personally welcome the new hire to impress upon them that all employees are valued. Encourage other coworkers to schedule one-on-one meetups with them so they can get to know other employees individually.

Regular evaluations - As in most situations, communication is key to a good onboarding experience. At the end of each week, the new hire should be interviewed about their progress and given the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback about their onboarding experience. These interviews should ideally be conducted by different managers in order to ask a wider variety of pertinent questions of the employee. Their intel will help you continue to improve upon your onboarding process. Monthly and three-month check-ins are also valuable for getting - and giving - bigger-picture views of the new employee’s progress toward becoming a homogenous member of your team.

In addition to evaluating your new employee, these interviews are useful for evaluating your onboarding process. Use employee feedback to ever-improve your onboarding experience. For the value it provides your company, e.g., employee engagement, satisfaction and retention, you’ll want it to be as effective as it can possibly be.

Is your company onboarding as effective as you’d like?