Onboarding Process

Every part of the organization, whether it is the higher management or the employee in the lowermost strata, knows the importance of the Onboarding process. The onboarding process can be understood as the employee's foremost interaction with the company when he/she joins it. So do you think that these initial days will determine whether the employee will stay with the company longer or not?

Do you know about new employee onboarding, a research conducted by Glassdoor reveals that employees who evaluated their onboarding process as "Highly Effective" were 18 times more inclined to feel strongly about their company. Not only this, but the research also revealed that 91 percent of workers who went through excellent onboarding had a strong sense of connectivity at work, and 89 percent felt deeply integrated into their corporate culture.

Through this research, it is highly evident that a successful onboarding process yields positive results for the employee as well as for the organization as a whole. The onboarding process plays a great role in the employees' experience with the company.

Another study by Gallup shows that only 12 % of the employees said that onboarding is good at their firm. There is a huge population out there at the workplace who never got a successful onboarding process. This is the reason employees have lost connection with the employees, leading to a greater retention rate.

The same study by Gallup Postulated further stated that Employees are 3.4 times more likely to believe that their onboarding process was effective when their boss takes an active role in it. Isn't that true? Our boss matters a lot to us, and when we get to know our boss as soon as possible, we can adjust ourselves accordingly, isn't it?

In this article, let's take you through the complete guide to understand what is onboarding process in an organization, and what does onboarding mean for new hire employees. Are you ready? Let’s begin...

What is Onboarding Process Meaning & Definition

Onboarding Process isn't something that happens by accident. It is created with input from all levels of the company and skilled instructional design. It can be done in-person or online, and immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) can be used (VR). Creating a comprehensive onboarding programme ensures that your new recruits get off to a strong start in terms of personal growth, professional growth, and success.

Employee onboarding process in Human Resource differs dramatically from company to company. Employees at certain companies are led to their workstations, given a handbook, and informed what time they should arrive each day. New employees at other companies spend a week getting to know the business culture, networking across departments, shadowing coworkers, and more.

Onboarding Process defined by Eminent Authors & Experts

Find below the onboarding process meaning and definition given by some of the prominent experts’ authors:

According to the APA Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, onboarding process assists employees in gaining "the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors to become effective organizational members and insiders." It provides them with the tools they need to function and, more importantly, feel like full-fledged members of your company.

Employee onboarding (also known as organizational socialization) is the "process of assisting new hires in quickly and smoothly adjusting to the social and performance aspects of their new jobs, as well as developing the attitudes, information, abilities, and behaviours necessary to work well in a company," according to the Society for Human Resources Development (SHRM).

Onboarding is the process of "acquiring, accommodating, integrating, and accelerating new team members, whether they come from outside or inside the organization," according to Stimpson (2009)." It refers to the administrative labour that goes into preparing a person for a new job or role."

Onboarding is the process of new recruits swiftly attaining their full productivity via learning, networking, assigning resources, creating goals, and planning (Bauer, T. N., & Erdogan B, 2011).

Effective employee onboarding process should be higher on the strategic agendas of organizations that desire faster and increased engagement and productivity from their new workers, as well as cost savings (Day & Fedele, 2012).

What does Onboarding Process mean for a new employee or new hire?

For a new employee or a new hire who is looking forward to dedicating his/her time and efforts to the company onboarding means a lot, the onboarding process is the first interaction that she/he cannot afford to miss. A new person who is entering the organization with hopes to stay in it for the long term has many questions in mind.

If employees’ questions are answered well during the period of the onboarding process, then you can believe the onboarding process to be successful, but if the process fails to cater to the employee questions, whether said or unsaid, the organization attrition rate is going to rise high. Thus, in today's era, where everybody is judging everyone, therefore a well-designed recruitment process must have a well-crafted onboarding process too, which shall be playing an important role for employer branding and will keep the employer image positive in front of the employee.

What is the Onboarding Process in HR?

New employees, supervisors, and HR work together to create successful complete onboarding procedures. This cooperation aims to lay the foundation for a long-term fruitful working relationship between the employee and the organization.

During the onboarding process, the Human Resource department of the organization is responsible for filling up and collecting employee documentation (such as forms and benefits), examining work hours, the organization's history and background, and the organizational structure, and touring the facility.

Human Resources is responsible for overseeing or facilitating the preparation of official and needed documentation relating to pay and benefits, wellness, rules and policies, and new hire paperwork. They may also be in charge of new hire orientation sessions and other onboarding tools.

New Employee Onboarding Process & its Steps

For a successful onboarding process, you have to carefully go through all the steps that will complete the process. The steps that are to be followed are given below:

Email the Offer Letter

Following the recruitment phase, the employee onboarding procedure begins. An HR manager sends a pleasant welcome email with a few important papers, such as the links to fill out digital onboarding forms, offer letters, and HR policy documents, after a candidate has been chosen. Employees are more familiar with the organization's culture and know what to expect if the approach is transparent.

Before you send the offer letter, make sure all the discussions about salary and position are done to avoid any dissatisfaction from the employee's side. During Salary discussions, new employees demand respectful treatment. Be flexible enough to comprehend their obligations and set remunerations accordingly. A well-executed pay negotiation earns you respect and motivates you to advocate for yourself.

Roll out the Onboarding schedule

Once the new employee accepts the Job offer, now it's the turn of the HR department to plan the Onboarding process and make a draft of it. The broad pointers of the schedule should be prepared for the new employees to get mentally prepared for what is really needed from them. A blank face will not look good at the office, right? While the onboarding schedule is being planned to leave the employee alone. Just though a person accepted the offer doesn't mean they'll show up on the agreed-upon start date.

During the waiting time, the employee may be receptive to alternative job offers from other companies. As a result, establishing a great working connection with the employee is critical. Make it clear to the employee how much you appreciate them. It's a good idea to incorporate a waiting period when planning your employee onboarding procedure (but it all depends on the HR department).

The Big Day

The big day is not only for the employee that is joining the company, but it is also a big day for the organization to get a new member in the big family. Most new recruits experience a range of emotions on their first day. At the same time, they are worried, joyful, enthusiastic, and nervous.

As a result, the major job of HR managers is to make new hires feel welcome and at ease. Instilling a sense of belonging in new recruits will increase their commitment and help them focus on their task.

The first day of the onboarding process may include the common tasks:

Set up a salary account
Assign a mentor or go-to-person who can help the employee settle down
Assign IT assets (workstations, email access, etc.)
Obtain required office supplies (furniture, keys, access card, etc.)
Introduce him/her to the team and the management
Look around the Officer

Organizing the First Week of the Employee

The onboarding process is not all happy moments; rather, it is about making the employee familiar with the positive workplace environment he/she is going to work for the next few years. The onboarding process is not about shadowing the reality rather embracing it and letting the new employee dissolve in it.

So, in the first week, your new employee should have been introduced to their coworkers and job position by now. Set specific goals and objectives for the new employees to reach their aims for the following month once they have begun to adjust to your workplace culture and principles:

Consider a three-month performance assignment for them to complete.
To provide comments on their initial tasks, use the constructive feedback process.
To eliminate any toxic bothering, keep an eye on them and their behavior with other team members and vice versa.
Mentor them and utilize your leadership skills to assess their potential so that they may perform to their full potential.

Training Period

Training is one of the important aspects of the job, unless and until the employee gets the training on how the organization actually works, the employee's unasked doubts will remain doubts forever. So a training program is crucial for smooth processing.

Orientation seminars provide a new recruit with an overview of the company's culture as well as an understanding of the company's aims. This phase provides new employees with knowledge of the firm's teams, team processes, and corporate policies. Setting role-based objectives and goals for the next 30/60/90 days is a great approach to show new hires what they need to concentrate on.

Closure

Closing of the new employee onboarding process is really important because the employee needs to know that now he/she has become a part of the family, and likewise he/she has to own the responsibility of the work allotted. Generally, it is suggested that onboarding should be given 20-30 days. Some companies may end it early, within 15 days itself. But the longer time you spend on employees, the more fruitful results they yield.

To close the onboarding process, give the employees constructive feedback on their performance during the training period and a call to action for further work.

Don't forget to provide them with the support they need. It is critical to give assistance and advice to new employees, but it is also crucial to avoid micromanagement. Make sure your staff feels empowered and capable of taking the initiative to improve your company's success.

Importance and Benefits of the Employee Onboarding Process?

Decrease Employee Attrition rate:

According to a 2007 research by the Wynhurst Group, newly recruited workers who undergo a systematic onboarding process are 58 percent more likely to remain at the firm three years later. Whenever a new employee departs, it may cost up to 150 percent of their yearly pay in additional expenditures - simply consider the missed productivity, the overworked employees who must take up the slack, the knowledge lost to your company, and the wasted training fees.

There are also charges for recruiting and interviewing a successor. Investing in employee retention is significantly less expensive than replacing an employee who departs because you didn't. Therefore, investing time, brain and effort in the Onboarding process is worth it.

Boost Employee Performance

As per the research from the Corporate Leadership Council, when employees are on boarded properly, their discretionary effort improves by more than 20%, effective employee onboarding programme may boost employee performance by up to 11%.

You Get the Competitive Edge

When there are fewer job openings, productivity rises, members of your staff can focus fully on the task in front of them when they aren't racing to fill positions and juggling numerous roles at the same time. Employees are happier and more productive as a consequence. As a result, your company's image among prospects and potential recruits increases. Would you rather work for a firm where everyone appears to be overworked or for a rival down the street that seems to care about its employees?

Blend employee in the Organizational Culture

When it comes to evaluating career possibilities, culture is everything. Onboarding allows an organization to effectively convey its purpose, values, and distinctive qualities to new workers at a time when they are most receptive. Onboarding also demonstrates to new recruits how their actions and attitudes at work may interact with and impact the culture.

Helps in Rich Talent Acquisition Process

As there is a cliché saying, "First impressions are the last impression", if a new hire is happy with the company, he/she will spread a good positive word of mouth. If your employees had a positive onboarding experience, they would most likely tell their coworkers. This contributes to the recruitment and appreciate the company's overall favorable culture. You'll be able to recruit the top talent in the business once word gets out. On the other hand, a poor onboarding procedure leads to new workers believing that your company is poorly managed. You don't want to make that kind of impression.

Onboarding Process list for New Hire Employee

Send the welcome onboard message or email to new employees
Introduce employee with the co-workers.
Schedule attendance at an orientation programme
Order business card
Introduce employee to work area, including
phone usage
Hr policies
code of conduct
Orient employee to the worksite
coffee rooms
Washrooms
photocopy machines
Fax machines
Supplies
canteen
transportation
break rooms
ATM's
Vending Machines
medical supplies
emergency supplies
mail service

Onboarding Process Checklist

The onboarding process may seem easy to you, but it is not as easy. So when you are planning to have a successful onboarding process, you need a checklist in hand that makes the process easy. Seeing Human nature, we tend to forget things, especially when we have a huge responsibility in our hands. So the onboarding checklist makes the task of remembering things to complete easy for you. Let’s check out this task:

Onboarding Tasks Checklist	Description
Sending Welcoming Email	Except for the contract signing, this is the first formal message your new recruit will get. The email should make a good first impression and position the new recruit for success right away. Further points to note: Welcome them to the team with open arms. Include the date, time, and place of the start. Provide their contact person's phone number and email address. Make a list of the papers they'll need to bring. Include a synopsis of their first day's schedule. If there is a clothing code, explain it. Documents pertaining to your firm should be attached.
Pre- onboarding checklist	Ascertain if their department's leader is prepared for the newcomer. Send an email to the entire business stating the new hire's name and role. Declare their inception date as well as the location of their office. If feasible, let employees know when and where the meet-and-greet will take place. Determine the location of the new employee's workplace. If feasible, prepare a welcome present and set it on the desk. Make sure you have all of the required supplies. In the HR system, create their accounts. Create accounts for the new employee, including email and any accounts that are required (prepare a full list of all services). Place an order for security cards and keys. Prepare HR-related paperwork.
First Day Checklist	Make a point of greeting the new hire at the entrance Arrange for a welcoming meal with the new employee and his or her colleagues. Make plans for a work tour. Start with the basics: entrances, toilets, kitchen, and common area. Identify the "Players" connected to the position. Make the appointment with “Key players." Ascertain that they can log in to their station and that all equipment is operational... Introduce the new hire to his or her coworkers and department. Show the new employee where they will be working. Introduce the onboarding buddy of the incoming employee. Make sure that all of your credentials and accesses are working. If you have a learning environment, give others access to it. Include all necessary information, such as instructions and rules. Arrange a meeting with a supervisory employee. Have a one-on-one meeting at the conclusion of the day if feasible. Identify what training and development activities will be needed in the next six months. Sign up for the appropriate classes.
First Month Checklist	Create and distribute an onboarding survey for the first month. Set up a meeting with the department head to discuss the development of the employee. At the conclusion of the month, schedule a one-on-one meeting with the employee. Examine how the individual feels about his or her employment. Invite the new employee to take part in team-building activities. Plan and conduct a three-month and six-month staff survey.

Onboarding Process Checklist Template

Here below is the template idea of how you can make your checklist :

Onboarding Checklist Template -1

Onboarding Checklist Template - 2

Conclusion

With a complete guide on the Onboarding process, you are all set to make a plan and implement it for the betterment of the organisation as well as employees. Walking you through the importance of the onboarding process is crucial because unless and until you know it's important, you will not provide the input needed. Now you know the importance of it so I am sure, being the part of the HR team, you will give your best to make the whole onboarding process a success.