Onboarding: A Shared Challenge
Onboarding is the first stage of assimilating and integrating a new employee into an organization, and it’s a challenge for both the new employee and the employer.
For the employee, settling into a new job is difficult — just like that first day at school, there is much to learn and potential anxiety about getting it right and avoiding embarassment.
New employees are faced with a myriad of challenges, from remembering new passwords to getting familiar with a new team and company culture.
For the employer, the process of getting new employees “on board” quickly and efficiently is absolutely crucial for the health of the business.
Research shows that in the first few months of employment up to 50 percent of new employees fail to deliver what is expected of them or leave altogether. It is a tentative time, and ensuring that the onboarding process is managed effectively is a chance to develop a strong and lasting bond which will aid in retaining employees and fostering better business results.
The Tips and Tricks
1) Create a written guide
Create a tailored guide — like a new employee’s bible for the first few weeks — written specifically with the new employee in mind, listing points such as organization and management expectations, practical on the job issues, whether any training is needed, whether any specific knowledge needs to be reviewed, and short term goals to be achieved during onboarding. Explain the objectives and responsibilities of the employee on a regular basis.
This way, both management and the new employee have a clear, tangible guide they can refer to when needed, easing any misunderstandings that may arise early on. Give this new employee the guide before starting and discuss the guide on day one to clear up any concerns.
2) Give a who’s who of the office tour
Especially in a large organization, the number of unfamiliar faces in an office can be overwhelming for a new arrival. A helpful idea for getting new employees started is to create a who’s who area, either facilitated through the organization’s intranet or on a spare wall somewhere in the office. It can be used as a backup in the first week to help a new employee remember key people.
Display photos and a brief profile of direct co-workers by simply showing a picture, name, job title, and information relating that person with the new employee’s position, and maybe a fun fact to lighten the mood. For example:
Amanda Smith, Receptionist
Amanda is on call to assist with any administration issues, and she also has the key to the stationary cupboard. Amanda likes cycling to work.
3) Clear your schedule for them
Managers should initiate a connection early on and make themselves available to new employees as much as they can in the first few days. Don’t let emails, calls, or other distractions disrupt your first contact with new employees. Give the impression that they are your priority, making them feel valued and welcomed. It’s crucial for easing their transition and opening up communication. On the first day, make a general checklist of points to discuss with the new employee and set aside a time when you can go over the list together without any interruptions.
Also let other close team members know there is a new employee coming in and that they should dedicate some time to talk with them. For Generation X, studies show that the idea of friends is important in a workplace, so facilitate these friendships quickly through introduction rounds of the office on the first day. Some organizations have adopted using a buddy system, pairing up new employees with someone in a similar role, someone they can consult with each day for the first week such as a simple daily lunch.
4) Get productive on day one
Most first days in a new organization are filled with administrative housekeeping and settling in. After all the necessary orientations, introductions, and paperwork, give new employees something tangible to work on. It will cement their sense of being valued and needed as part of the new team, and give them something more interesting to report home with when asked the question, “So how was your first day?” If administrative items are going to take up too much time, try a different approach. Send the new employee necessary paperwork in the period after hiring and before starting and give them and yourself a head start.
5) Introduce the company culture
A new employee may not be fully familiar with the culture of the organization. Ensure they read up on organizational policies, strategies, and values. Make it interesting and engaging, so they feel proud to be a part of the organization and eager to contribute to its overall goals. It could be delivered through the employee handbook, email, on the company intranet, or anywhere they can be easily directed to and refer back to in the future.
New employees like to know what benefits or networks they have access to as a member or the organization. Let them know of the facilities you provide, and encourage them to take advantage of the free parking, discount gym membership, or whatever it may be.
6) Avoiding buyer’s remorse
Nothing is worse for a new employee than getting excited about a new job, arriving on the first day, and having a slow realization that this isn’t quite what was promised. It’s crucial to the onboarding process to make sure the new employee is under no false impression and completely understands what the job entails and what is required of them, so they don’t feel mislead.
This starts before a new employee arrives, right at the initial hiring process. Keep all information advertised authentic without over selling the position. Give the employee plenty of opportunity during interviews to ask questions to delve as deeply as they want to.
At ClearFit, we feel that interviewing is a two-way street, a chance for the candidate to assess the suitability of the employer as much as the other way round.
Gaining clarity on all the details of the job and work environment up front helps ensure that an employee walks into work on their first day with realistic expectations.
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