Around 55 percent of Americans are looking to change jobs between 2021 and 2022. Nowadays, companies don’t offer long-term employees adequate benefits to stick around. Many workers are finding the grass is greener elsewhere and jumping ship.
That means companies have larger turnovers of staff and need an air-tight employee onboarding process flow. This will ensure the new employee has all the tools and information they need to hit the ground running and increase their productivity.
If you’re a Human Resources employee or the head of a department, this will be part of your responsibilities. So if you want to streamline the onboarding process and improve performance in your team, keep reading for tons of great tips!
Write A Clear And Accurate Job Description
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One of the first onboarding steps occurs before you even hire a new employee. Nailing the job description is key if you want to attract and hire the right people for your company. It will help you avoid having to start the onboarding process again.
Department heads and HR staff should work together to create the most accurate job description possible. It should include as many regular tasks and responsibilities as you can think of. And the job description should list both “essential” and “desirable” qualities.
Focus on finding people who will fit the company culture first. It’s easier to teach an employee how to use a type of software than it is to teach trust.
You should also state the exact salary and benefits package upfront so you don’t waste anyone’s time. State exactly what the entire hiring process will look like including dates of interviews and decisions.
Create Templates For All Onboarding Documents
Once you’ve hired a new employee, you often have a couple of weeks to prepare all the onboarding documents. These documents can include:
- Contract
- Company handbook
- Code of conduct
- Confidentiality policy
- Health and safety policy
- Non-disclosure agreements
As a member of Human Resources, you should keep these documents together in a folder because each one is vital. You will likely need to send these out to the new employee before their first day of work. That gives them enough time to read them through before signing on their first day.
Prepare Essential Equipment In Advance
You should prepare equipment in advance not only to improve your employee onboarding process flow but for the employee too. If their laptop isn’t ready on their first day, for example, what was the point of them even starting on that day?
You might also need to prepare:
- Software
- Accounts and logins
- Email address
- Business cards
- Parking space
- Desk phone and/or smartphone
IT departments are notorious for handling lots of projects at once, so ask them for the essentials well in advance. It’s a good idea to check the new employee’s workspace to ensure it’s clean and free from clutter. Contact the new employee a few days beforehand to discuss commuting and whether they need a parking space too.
Have A “First Day Of Work” Checklist
If your onboarding program is extensive due to security checks, create a checklist so you don’t miss anything. Your checklist might include:
- Taking a photograph of the new employee
- Sending an introductory email to the company
- Organizing a security/identity badge
- Taking them on an office tour
- Giving the employee their equipment
- Introducing the employee to key people e.g. front desk
You should plan every hour of the employee’s first day so they aren’t left twiddling their thumbs. How To Motivate Employees As A Manager
Plan A Laid Back Team Lunch
If you were ever the new kid at school, you will remember that the first couple of lunchtimes were far more daunting than classes. It’s the same when you work in an office. You don’t know whether to bring lunch and sit at your desk or even what time people take lunch.
For every employee’s first day, organize a lunch. If you have a big company, the department head should organize a team lunch at a nearby laid-back restaurant.
But if you have a small company, order food to the office and eat it together. This will help the new employee feel more comfortable and give them an opportunity to chat with other staff members.
Set Up Introductions For Everyone
Depending on the size of your company, it may not be realistic to set up introductions between the new employee and everyone else. On the office tour, you can show them where every department works and then set up meetings only with crucial team members.
All employees should meet the IT team, HR team, finance team, and health and safety officers. You should also introduce the new staff member to key external people like suppliers and clients.
Book A Training And Orientation Meeting
You, as the department head or HR member, will need to set up one or more orientation meetings with the new employee. This could include soft skills training, health and safety training, and/or company culture training.
Schedule your first meeting at the end of the new employee’s first day so they can ask you any questions and you can recap.
Plan Follow-Up Meetings
That’s the pre-arrival onboarding process and the first day sorted. But you can’t leave the employee to fend for themselves from day two onward!
Take a coffee break with the new employee on day two and at the end of the week. Then, catch up with them again in one month’s time. This will ensure you’re on top of any issues and it will help the new employee feel more settled.
Improve Your Employee Onboarding Process Flow For The Better
The employee onboarding process flow might seem like a lengthy process, and it is. Hiring a new employee is a big deal for both you and the employee, but these tips will help you streamline the process and make it more effective.
Hiring new employees is one of the most important tasks for a manager or member of the human resources team. But there are lots of other skills you need to learn too. Browse our website for lots of useful information on tech, digital marketing, and much more.
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