Onboarding, also known as organizational socialization, is a way of training employees to get proper knowledge and skills in order to become productive members of a company.

It is used when a new employee is hired to help them adjust to the new working space and schedule quickly, as well as get used to their new surroundings.

There are a lot of benefits one can gain when paying attention to onboarding.

Employee onboarding is a way to ensure that your new employees are starting off their job in the right way.

Having proper onboarding skills and tactics will make it easier for both the new employee and the employer.

Many companies and organizations are aware of the benefits that come from onboarding the employees properly, however, it is not an easy and cheap thing to do. For many companies, onboarding can create a lot of additional costs.

However, it surely is a thing that is necessary when employing, and the money invested will not go to waste.

By onboarding the employees in the right way, they will become more productive sooner and show good results from the very start.  It has been proven that

Onboarding programs can increase retention by 25% and improve employee performance by 11%.”

Reading this article will help employers realize the importance of proper onboarding, as well as learn all the benefits they can gain from it. In this text, you will find several different ways of onboarding.

IMPORTANCE OF ONBOARDING

Onboarding wasn’t always a common routine in hiring employees. It would usually last for a few days, while today, it can take up to a year in some cases. Apart from the benefit of having a good and loyal employee, onboarding can help companies increase their profit.

Many companies skip the onboarding process completely. In fact, research shows that 22% of companies have no formal onboarding program at all, while 49% only have a partially successful process.

Unsuccessful onboarding can result in less productivity among the new hires, more stress in the workplace, as well as new hires eventually searching for a new job.

That can cost the company a lot of money, sometimes much more than the onboarding process would.

Researches show that it takes about six months for an employee to completely adapt to his job and workspace.

Many companies don’t consider the amount of time an important factor when it’s actually the other way around. It is necessary for a company to train the employee properly in order to receive quality work and good results.

The period between the first three to six months is the most critical part. It is the time where the company loses up to 17 % of the new employees.

That is why it is important to be consistent and careful with the onboarding process.

The candidate sourcing and selection process is already expensive tasks for the company, and losing a good employee after all the effort is borderline frustrating.

It is important to map out the onboarding process, create a good strategy and plan the amount of time needed for the full training of a new employee.

Some researches done by Christine Marino show the facts about employee onboarding:

1. Onboarding programs can increase retention by 25% and improve employee performance by 11%.
2. Employees who participate in a structured onboarding program are 69% more likely to stay with an organization for 3 years.
3. It takes 8-12 months for new hires to be as proficient as their tenured colleagues.
4. 15% of employees said the lack of an effective onboarding program aided in their decision to quit.

All of these facts are showing that employee onboarding is a necessary process after all.

Employee onboarding should include a preparation process before the employee actually starts his first workday.

Meeting the team, showing the office, and introducing the tools required for the job type are all parts of employee onboarding as well.

In conclusion, getting an employee familiar with his new surroundings, employer’s expectations and their future obligations is the most basic type of onboarding.

There are two types of onboarding:

  1. Formal onboarding – it is a type of onboarding where tasks and procedures are organized and planned in order to fit the new employee’s position and profile. While the formal onboarding lasts, the new employees are somewhat separated from the already existing ones in order to make sure that the new ones experience different activities and learn how to work in an unfamiliar space.
  2. Informal onboarding – it is a necessary part of every hiring process. It refers to informing the new employee about his obligations and workspace, required skills and future tasks. One-on-one coaching and having meetings with the managers are all a part of informational onboarding.

Research has shown that employers spend up to 30% of a new employee’s annual salary on the onboarding process.

However, as already mentioned, onboarding is a crucial step to receiving benefits from your employee’s work, as well as keeping them working for the company.

A hire’s manager is the person that has an important spot in the company. It is their responsibility to hire and onboard the employees. Besides having them pick out new employees, it is necessary for a company to have a reliable and responsible hire’s manager.

Employee onboarding has many advantages. First of all, it reduces employee turnover, making it way more economical for the company. Onboarding helps the new employees grow in their field, it reduces stress and anxiety at work, and it makes them productive.

KEY PARTS OF EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING

Effective and productive employee onboarding should be well-planned. It should be strategic, created with the intention of keeping an employee satisfied and working in the company for a long time.

There are a lot of ways to make sure the employee onboarding process is done successfully.

The following text will provide you with general knowledge and facts for making the onboarding process successful and rewarding.

Here are a few things to take care of when doing employee onboarding:

1. The cost of employee onboarding – It is not an easy and cheap task to do onboarding for a year. That is why planning the possible cost and making cuts here and there could be beneficial for the company.

Big companies such as Microsoft and IBM have saved a lot of money by substituting video training for in-class training.

As long as it doesn’t affect both the new employee and the company, replacing some onboarding techniques with other, more economical ones, can be a great way to keep the company’s finances at a good level.

2. Creating an employee onboarding program – Having a planned program of the onboarding process is a great advantage when it comes to hiring new employees. This kind of program has to be well thought of and the employer has to be consistent with it.

The well-planned program can ensure employees having a great experience in the company and eventually staying there to work for a long time afterward.

3. Modern teaching material – Having up-to-date techniques of equipping your new employees with knowledge is a crucial thing if you want the onboarding process to be productive. Having enough material and enough staff that will be the guide for new employees is needed if you want to provide proper training.

4. Making employees feel connected – Having good relationships with the employees is an important thing when introducing them to the company.

Making them feel engaged and making them familiar with the way the company works can impact their performance right from the start. That includes showing them possible challenges, as well as making sure that they are connected with the rest of the staff.

EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING METHODS

Researchers claim that 22% of new hires decide to leave a position in the first  45 days. Bad employee onboarding programs can be a cause of that. This is why companies need to have great knowledge about onboarding methods.

There are a couple of simple steps that should be included in the employee onboarding plan. Reading through them will give you a basic idea of what the employee onboarding process actually is and what it looks like.

1. HR orientation – Introducing a new employee to the HR manager and doing HR orientation should be a first step in the onboarding process. The new employee should sign any necessary documents beforehand, in order to avoid wasting time.

The HR manager should introduce the company’s visions, values, and goals to the new employee in order for them to create a general idea of what the company looks like. This will help the new employee understand his responsibilities and start being productive sooner.

2. Office tour – Giving the new employee an office tour is a necessary thing to do on his first day at work. Being familiar with their new surroundings will make the new employee feel comfortable from the very start.

However, the tour should not only consist of the manager showing the new employee the workspace and important locations, but it should also include introducing them to the important employees, especially the ones whit whom the new hire will have the most contact in the first time.

3. Explaining the basic – Showing the employee the general things, such as the company’s site, software programs used, important emails and such is an unavoidable step in employee onboarding. A good thing to do is showing the new employee recent statistics and resources to get them familiar with the company’s progress and for them to get a better picture of the company.

This may include showing them annual reports, marketing materials, introducing them to future employee events and so on.

4. Assigning them a mentor – When having a mentor, an employee feels more comfortable in the beginning. A mentor can serve as a guide for the new employee, and help him by answering his questions and being their support. This will enable the employee to feel welcome and secure and to connect with the rest of the team way more easily.

5. Establishing goals – The manager should make sure that the new employee is aware of his responsibilities and that he has a general idea of the company’s expectations. Setting the goals clear is a great way to let the employee know what his place in the company is. This can help them develop their skills over time and adapt to the new environment more easily.

6. Personalizing the employee onboarding plan – As much as employee onboarding seems like a strict program, it should actually be an individual experience for each and every new employee. People are different, so when it comes to setting goals for them, they will not all react the same.

Some people like to have high expectations and will need more motivation throughout the onboarding process, while others like to have realistic goals and don’t need as much control coming from the company.

Some people work better under the strictly designed plan, while others perform better when having more freedom in deciding on their goals.

7. Communicating and checking – Tracking the employee’s progress is a helpful way of determining what more they need to learn and how well they perform in the new environment. Discussing their performance with them can be a great way to show them their achievements and correct possible mistakes they are making.

Communication is the key to having an open relationship with a new employee.

Being available for any questions and concerns, even though you are not their mentor, will help when the employee feels uncertain about his role and responsibilities.

8. Listening to the employee’s feedback – Viewing the experience from the employee’s point of view is crucial for improving the company’s onboarding process and many other things. Even though they are new to the company, their feedback on the experience at work can be very helpful for noticing any mistakes or adjusting the onboarding process to their progress.

Providing support for the new employees and making them feel welcome and secure is very important if you want to decrease the amount of resigning employees.

Apart from having good hiring and selection methods, these suggestions on employee onboarding will be a great start to creating a loyal, productive staff for your company.

CREATING A GOOD ONBOARDING PROGRAM

As already mentioned, having a good plan of realizing the employee onboarding program is essential for having successful staff in the company.

The onboarding process has to start as early as possible – otherwise, both the company and the employee will stay behind.

However, planning this process is not at all easy. In this article, you will find helpful suggestions when it comes to creating the employee onboarding program.

1. First Day

Even though it seems unusual, the employee onboarding process should start before the employee’s first day at work. Having him sign all the necessary papers and prepare for the first day can serve as a good start and help the employee get to know the basics of the company’s way of working.

Making sure the employee feels welcome on his first day is also an essential part of the onboarding process. Being open with them and ready to answer all of their questions is a great way to make a good first impression.

The employer should make sure to set the expectations and the goals straight on the employee’s first day. The employee needs to know their duties in order to perform well.

Social interaction with co-workers is an important part of every job. A good thing to do is to introduce the new employee to the rest of the team, to make him feel like the part of the group from the very beginning.

It is important to set boundaries and assign responsibilities to each team member, in order to have everyone working equally.

This is important because the already existing members can sometimes feel threatened that the new employees will take on their responsibilities.

2. First Month

Checking on the employee’s progress is necessary.

The employer has to make sure that the new employee is comfortable and satisfied with their new job.

It is also important to check whether the new employee has made good contact with the rest of the team.

Three-fourths of new hires claim that the first week is the most important.

However, the onboarding process should not stop there. It is necessary to have the new employees updated regularly and keep track of their performance.

The company should be careful not to overwhelm new employees with too much information as well. Keeping a distance in the onboarding process is as important as keeping track of the new employee’s work.

3. The First Three to Six Months

As previously mentioned, the period between the first three to six months is the most critical one when it comes to the new employees.

Many companies stop with the employee onboarding process just after three months.

By keeping an eye on your employee’s progress after three months, it is more likely that they will show progress and stay in the company for a long time.

The company should make sure that the employee has a positive attitude towards the work and the company itself after three months of working.

It is also very important that the employee receives constant feedback on their work, in order for them to fix possible mistakes or have the motivation to continue the good work. It is advised to have a one-on-one meeting with the manager after three months of working.

After six months, the new hire should already have their own goals and participate in meetings regularly.

Checking whether the goals are accomplished and finding out if they are involved in the meetings is a good way to check their progress.

4. The First Year

Not many companies extend their employee onboarding process after one year. According to the Aberdeen Group, “Only 2 percent of companies extend onboarding beyond one year”.

Reviewing the employee’s progress after one year will give the company a full insight into the way that employee works. They might show as the right person for that spot, or they might not match the company’s expectations.

After a year, a company should make sure that the onboarding process transitions to retention. They should make sure that the employees are continuously developing by planning ahead. The employee should discuss the new goals and plans for the next year.

These steps are a helpful tool when outlining the employee onboarding process. It is important that the company sticks to the plan and realize all aspects of it.

Even if it seems like it takes way too much time to show results, employee onboarding is a beneficial and profitable method that will have positive results only if done properly.

CONCLUSION

Onboarding is not a simple process, but it should not be viewed as a luxury.

Having well-trained employees that bring only success to the company is worth the time and effort. Ben Peterson, CEO of an HR technology company, claims:

“Your new hires will thank you for setting them up on the path to success and your company will be well on its way to turning those new hires into seasoned employees.”

The benefits of employee onboarding are increased productivity, engagement and fewer turnover rates. Having a properly designed and well thought of onboarding program will be a great advantage when it comes to hiring new staff.

There are many ways onboarding can be done. The crucial thing is to cover the basics of every onboarding process and stick to the rest of the plan.

Apart from having up-to-date onboarding methods, it is important to have managers check the new employees and make enough time to offer help and support.

The new employees should also be involved in the process by asking questions, doing research and socializing with the rest of the staff.

Making the employees feel secure, supported and included is the most important step in the onboarding process.

Your New Hires Won’t Succeed Unless You Onboard Them Properly

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