I am sure two weeks ago you read the first part of onboarding article. In this second part, I found the report of a survey on onboarding and re-boarding that has really compressed effective best practice in one document. If you follow the advice below, it is imminent that you will keep your staff for a long while. This was a survey done in America so I have tweaked it somewhat to suit us here in Nigeria.
Design and strategy
Include all important stakeholders for onboarding design and implementation especially taking into consideration the levels of staff to be on-boarded. For example, if an executive director is being on-boarded, the board should be involved, whereas if it is a manager, the board should not necessarily be involved.
When manager, team, and HR are all involved in onboarding, over a period of 6-12 months, the company will be able to implement, sustain, and measure effectiveness.
It is best to Implement a written onboarding matrix for each department/team by role. This includes: levels of proficiency, time frames for completion, and current status on all tasks, duties, responsibilities, systems, etc. This gives feedback at a glance and does not lead time wastage for parties concerned.
You must strive for involvement from not only the hiring manager, but also all members of the team. With joint effort, everyone has a role to play in getting the new hire up to speed. The new hire not only learns their own role, but also how their role fits into the rest of the team.
Make onboarding an extension of a positive candidate experience that extends past the first week
We must realise that onboarding begins when we “brand” our organisations in the marketplace and we must understand that orientation begins with the application at first communication. For example, one of my pet peeves is inviting a candidate for an interview at a particular time and then keeping them waiting for hours before they are seen.
Like I said before when I was talking about the recruitment process, a realistic job preview before an employee starts can greatly reduce introductory period turnover. This really should be done before the letter of offer.
On-boarding as a formal structured process helps employees navigate the system within their first year at a company. They need a full year plan that includes clear expectations and has on-the-job training, classroom training, and even some technology courses if necessary. They need feedback and one-on-one meetings provided by managers and mentors. They also need a support system that allows them to feel like they are a part of the company and team very quickly.
Pre-boarding
Get a head start to prevent an overwhelming first day.
Utilise pre-boarding by preparing in advance new hire checklists, orientation schedules, training curricula, and timelines.
Also, small gestures make a big difference. For example, introductions to everyone in the office, warm welcomes, nameplate at their workspace, etc. Sincere interest in the individual leads to increased employee satisfaction and retention.
Ensure the new hire received “a new hire binder”, complete with to-do checklist. This makes the whole process feel personalised and also provides a framework for self-orientation.
Communication prior to day one and throughout the process is key
Keep in touch between offer acceptance and first day, and check in every 30-60 days for the first 6 months. You should ask open-ended questions, make orientation personal and share stories with them. This shouldn’t be the HR’s responsibility alone.
Have the recruiting team conduct monthly check-ins with the new hire and manager over the first 90 days. Also, informal check-ins with the new hire 1-2 times per year.
Onboarding people and culture
Set up an exceptional first-day welcome with interactive and group onboarding practices, planned social integration, and engagement activities. Companies usually try to batch new recruit first days when possible so as to give a wow effect.
Make the employee feel proud to join the company by providing information on the company’s history and give them a company logo item to make them feel welcome.
Use your best employees to welcome new ones
Assign a mentor or co-worker to assist with implementing and beginning the onboarding process before the employee begins their first day at work.
Where possible provide a peer co-worker for each new hire to assist with everyday issues. Implement job shadowing and a detailed new hire orientation day. Follow-up with new hires with support from management and HR. This obviously depends on numbers.
Help build the new hire’s internal network in areas outside their department
Share with the whole organisation when someone new starts via established communication platforms.
Use orientation sessions with virtual tours to the different departments, explaining what they do, and showcasing some of the executives, etc. Some companies actually do a departmental rotation for orientation purposes.
Concentrate on your culture and values
Being able to talk about values, high performance, and culture can increase employee engagement. A company once said they were frequently told that people came to work for them because of their reputation in the community, and how much they cared about its employees.
Schedule time with the CEO/Senior leadership to meet with the new employee and learn first-hand about the vision and culture of the company. Sometimes it is good also to schedule this sort of meeting again after three months so the CEO could get some feedback on first impressions. This will help the CEO get the perception of a new eye.
Make time to train for performance
Consistency of training and competing priorities can and will clash, but it is important to schedule and maintain (as close as possible) training for highest results.
Onboarding has moved from being an event at the front-end of a candidate’s experience, to being a process that extends for up to a year (and more in some cases). Competing priorities internally for colleague’s and leadership’s time to contribute to the onboarding process is one of the biggest challenges. Everyone involved knows it is important, but it is often difficult to ensure consistency depending on the day and what is the hot button of the moment.
Set expectations for performance and career paths
Explain the big picture so that the new person can see opportunities beyond where they currently are. Listen and give an opportunity to have them share their aspirations; it is never too soon to begin that process. Be clear about your expectations and be prepared for them before their first day.
Utilise manager/new hire career, performance, and development meetings, and do some goal setting within the first 90 days. This has to be done in a non-threatening manner however.
I know the above seems a lot but it actually is quite simple. Set it up as a project and ensure it is carried out. There is a lot of material that can be customised to suit your company. Let me know how you get on. If you are reading and not necessarily a decision maker, you can suggest it to your senior management. This is what builds culture and a good brand.
