The onboarding process is a very important step in integrating new recruits and giving them a good start to their career within your company. This process and its importance are well illustrated by the following quote: “ You never get a second chance to make a first impression” and we all know that the first impressions always remain in our memory.
Companies invest a large part of their budget in the process of finding and recruiting the right employees and forget to focus on their transition and integration, which negatively impacts the employer branding, the company’s reputation, and the quality of the new employee’s work and engagement.
You can improve your onboarding process and provide your new hires with a great experience and a successful onboarding by implementing a few practices.
Best onboarding tips
A well-planned onboarding program is like an investment with a very high ROI. Everybody wins in this process. First, the new employee is well integrated, motivated, and ready to contribute to the company’s success. Moreover, the company develops an excellent employer brand and is sure to have dedicated and fulfilled employees.
Here are some good onboarding practices :
- Notify the teams of the new employee’s arrival, and make sure they all introduce themselves in a welcoming manner. This way, the bonds within your teams’ members will be easier to create and maintain if they are based on a good foundation.
- Before the arrival of the new employee, be sure to prepare them for the first days. Give them all practical information about parking, lunch and break times, insurance documents, etc. Ideally, you should have an online portal or an employment application with all the needed information. That way, you’re not leaving them to fend for themselves and they’ll be committed from their first day.
- When they arrive, give them a tour of the company’s premises, show them their office and help them get settled.
- A welcome gift kit will make them happy and motivated. This pack can contain the company’s goodies, a professional computer, a notebook, and a personalized message.
- There is no better way to engage your new hires than to show them that they are important. One of the team members can take the time to explain the company’s strategy or values to the new employee, which will certainly have a positive impact on their feelings about their new organization. Keep in mind that they want to be reassured that they made the right choice.
- Connect with the new employee. Nothing helps with social interaction like a good meal. Also, you can consider organizing an “after-work” party on the first Friday of their arrival week. These types of events create the right conditions for the new employee to be relaxed and encouraged to open up and share their ideas and beliefs in a natural way.
- Give and ask for immediate feedback. This will allow you to know if your onboarding process is successful and going as planned, in addition to providing you with opportunities and ideas to improve the process for the upcoming recruits.
Don’t forget that the first days of a new employee are not easy, with their new responsibilities, all the information they need to remember, and the new company’s pace and culture. Therefore be considerate and make sure that their integration goes very well. An employee who feels considered will be more fulfilled and productive in his work.
Why candidates who have a good onboarding experience are more likely to stay with the company
Providing employees with a great onboarding experience will be worth more than the investment of time and other resources. Research shows that a structured employee onboarding process has an impact on employee engagement, retention, and productivity. More specifically, 69% of employees are more likely to stay with the company after a successful onboarding experience.
If the new employee starts off poorly with your company, they will be less productive, less invested, and will likely start looking for another company where they can feel more connected.
When the new employees do not have a good onboarding experience, the turnover rate of new employees will be affected.
New hires with a great onboarding experience are motivated to stay with the company because they have a better understanding of the company's culture, feel important and connected to their team. This builds their confidence in their professional skills and improves their overall experience.
The importance of onboarding processes in the employer branding
A good onboarding process boosts your employer brand and your company’s image, both internally and externally. The new employee is already attracted to your employer brand and your values. And the onboarding process is the best opportunity to prove them right and show them the company’s positioning as a great place to work and grow, with supportive teams and challenging missions.
This doesn’t just apply to new hires, you need to make sure that all the teams’ members are considered at all levels, otherwise, you risk building a false “good employer branding”.
Onboarding new hires should involve and encourage them to share their own personal branding to promote discussion, sharing, and diversity.
This impacts your employer brand because your employees are the front line of your company; they interact with your customers, they talk about the company to their friends, etc. The way your employees perceive the company reflects and impacts how the public perceives it too.
Therefore, a good onboarding will allow new employees to be proud to belong to your company and to promote it in a positive frame.
During the onboarding process, new hires should receive information, internal training, and all the support they need to be productive and high-value members of the company. This is very important because if you get your new employee properly involved, they will be more productive and will also care about the success of the company and want to be part of it.
