Highlights
- A well-defined employee onboarding process helps employees get up to speed quickly and makes them feel valued and engaged.
- Onboarding should include introductions, clear role expectations, setting SMART goals, and regular check-ins.
- At CertiPay, we help you streamline onboarding and new hire paperwork with powerful, intuitive software. Contact us to learn more!
Does your company struggle to effectively integrate new hires? You’re not alone. A well-defined onboarding process is crucial for setting new employees up for success, but many companies lack strong employee onboarding best practices. This can lead to confusion, frustration, and even turnover.
Creating a stellar onboarding experience doesn’t have to be complicated. This HR guide will walk you through essential best practices to ensure your new hires feel welcome, informed, and excited to contribute from day one.
Let’s dive in!
Onboarding New Employees: Best Practices
Start off by ensuring your onboarding process includes the following:
- An introduction. Welcome your new employees to their team, department, and the company. This can be achieved through meet-and-greets, departmental lunches, company culture presentations, and tours of the workspace.
- A clear focus. Clearly communicate what matters most in the new employee’s role and department. This includes outlining expectations, key performance indicators (KPIs), and how their role contributes to the company’s overall objectives.
- Goals. Help your new hires set up SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) goals for their initial period. This could include goals for their first week, month, and even quarter. By setting clear goals, you’ll provide direction and a sense of accomplishment as they progress.
- Regular check-ins. Schedule frequent check-ins with new hires to assess their progress, answer questions, and identify any areas where they might need additional training or support.
In addition to these core elements, consider incorporating these best practices:
- Pre-boarding: Begin the onboarding process before the first day by sending a welcome package, completing necessary paperwork electronically, and providing access to company resources.
- Buddy system: Assign a “buddy” to each new hire – a welcoming colleague who can answer questions, provide informal guidance, and help them navigate the company culture.
- Social integration: Facilitate opportunities for new hires to connect with colleagues outside of work-related settings, such as team lunches or social events.
Employee Onboarding Roadmap
Here’s a full guide to help you as you onboard your new hires. Every company is unique, but this serves as a starting point to ensure you don’t miss anything.
The Setup
When: Before the first day
Set up your new employee’s workspace and help them feel welcomed. Include a few office items such as pens and notebooks (bonus if they include your company’s branding), as well as a few “welcome” items such as a t-shirt or company mug.
Set up various meetings with the departments they’ll need to meet and ensure they have time to get to know the company.
Set them up in any internal systems, such as message boards, email, HR tools, etc.
The First Impression
When: On day 1
Give them a good, welcoming first impression. Have someone waiting for them as they enter so they don’t wander around the office. Guide them to each meeting and set clear expectations for the day ahead.
Check-in regularly to ensure they’re getting their questions answered and getting well acquainted with the company and different departments.
Looking Ahead
When: During the first week
Meet with your employee and help determine clear goals and performance objectives for the first week, month, and quarter. Give them a clear roadmap for their first month to three months and ensure they know what’s expected of them.
Provide feedback often, especially on initial tasks, to set clear expectations for future work.
Help them get acquainted with other departments they may not be working with regularly to get a better picture of the business.
Getting Established
When: Ongoing
Check in with your new employee regularly and be open and available for any questions they may have. A great cadence to follow is a temporary informal weekly check-in to address immediate questions or concerns, a 30-day check-in to address work, and a regular 90-day check-in for coaching and improvement.
Always ask for feedback to ensure your new employees are being onboarded properly. Is there anything you’re missing? How did the various checkpoints help them or slow them down?
What’s the most helpful aspect of onboarding for them?
Create a Stellar Onboarding Process with CertiPay
A strong onboarding process makes employees feel valued and gives them clarity about their goals.
At CertiPay, we help companies streamline, standardize, and consolidate new hire paperwork with a powerful onboarding solution. We simplify the most cumbersome aspects of onboarding, so you can focus on providing a smooth onboarding experience for your employees.
Our software easily guides new employees through simple questions to automate new-hire employment forms. Once the paperwork is completed, your HR members or department managers are automatically notified and allowed to authorize electronically, saving you money and time.
Ready to simplify onboarding for your business? Contact us here or learn more about our onboarding solutions.
