While the job offer is attractive, have you noticed new employees leaving quickly? If so, it’s crucial to promptly identify the issue before it negatively impacts your company’s competitiveness. Let’s begin by looking at the basics – the onboarding process.
Why Employee Onboarding Matters
Employee onboarding is more than just a series of administrative tasks. It is a strategic process that significantly affects various aspects of your organization. Poorly executed, however, it can result in increased employee turnover.
Here are some reasons why introducing a new employee matters:
Employee Engagement and Productivity
A well-structured onboarding process increases employee engagement and productivity. When new team members feel welcome and integrate seamlessly into the company culture, they are more likely to feel valued and motivated to contribute from day one. If they receive clear instruction and support during this initial period, they will find their way into their new responsibilities more quickly.
Retention and Satisfaction
Effective onboarding processes improve employee retention rates and job satisfaction. When employees have a positive experience during onboarding, they are more likely to stay with the company for longer, translating into lower turnover and reduced costs for hiring and training new employees. Simply put – “I like it, so I’ll stay.”
Compliance and Accuracy
A well-conducted onboarding process also ensures a positive employee experience with administrative aspects, such as documentation circulation and procedural training. At this stage, it’s a good idea to assist with HR software that streamlines the completion and transfer of relevant documents promptly, reducing the risk of costly errors and legal problems in the future.
Save Time and Resources
Optimized processes for the adaptation of new employees provide savings in team time and company financial resources. When the entire onboarding goes smoothly, the new employees take over full duties and establish relationships faster. If they are additionally supported by HR software that automates processes, reduces administrative burden, and provides self-service functions, they will be able to focus on more strategic tasks.
How to Ensure Seamless Employee Onboarding Process
There are several effective practices that will help a company design an effective onboarding process. Let’s divide them into 4 main areas: planning, providing experiences, assessing, and improvements:
PLANNING
Define Onboarding Paths:
Define onboarding paths that describe all necessary tasks, starting from collecting employee data to assigning training and orientation. This ensures consistency and clarity in the introduction process. You can base your analysis on feedback from current company employees, using surveys with open-ended questions.
Use Onboarding Checklists and Customized Workflows
Onboarding checklists and onboarding workflows serve as useful tools for tracking tasks and their progress. They help HR teams maintain order and ensure that no crucial steps are skipped. Automated workflows can be associated with, for example, deadlines for filling out documents, completing training, etc., but a new employee can also be included in workflows outside of onboarding, such as workflows related to company events (anniversaries, colleagues’ birthdays). This way, they will feel part of the team from the beginning.
PROVIDING EXPERIENCES
Personalize the Onboarding Experiences
Customize the onboarding experience for individual employees. Adapt paths, educational paths, and templates of packages for the new employee – customizable new hire packet templates, employee handbook, to meet the specific needs of each new team member. For example, let’s say that a new employee requires training in a particular topic or shows interest in a specific area of the company’s activities. It’s worth directing them to the right training path right away so they can quickly enhance their skills and engage in their responsibilities. Acknowledge and celebrate key milestones in the onboarding process, such as completing training or the first month of work.
Introduce the Team Members
In addition to introducing the new employee to the team, you must present the team to the employee. Organize social activities or team-building events to support relationship building. A welcome package could be a good solution, including essential documents, company policies, and any materials that will help the new employee acclimate to the organization. You don’t have to print materials; it’s sufficient to provide access to the relevant resources in the company’s knowledge base. You can also assign a mentor or colleague to help the new employee navigate the first few weeks.
Shape the Company Culture
Incorporate actions and information into the onboarding process that will help new employees understand and embrace your company’s culture and values. This integration is crucial for building a cohesive and motivated team. Use a centralized knowledge base, company communication channels, a gamification app, etc., for this purpose.
ASSESSING
Monitor and Adjust
Communicate with new employees before the start date (preboarding), providing information about what to expect and what preparations they need to make. Organize regular meetings with new employees during the first few weeks to address any questions or concerns. Remember to regularly assess the onboarding process. Collect employee feedback, analyze it, and make adjustments to continually improve the experiences of new employees.
IMPROVEMENTS
Provide Technical Conditions
Create a detailed onboarding plan, including all necessary steps, documents, training, and orientation meetings. Set up all necessary accounts and technological systems in advance, including email, computer access, and any specialized software. Ensure that the workplace and tools are ready before the new employee arrives.
Utilize Onboarding Tools
Use employee onboarding software tools that offer features such as electronic signatures, automatic notifications, and integration with other applications. These tools streamline the onboarding process and enhance the employee experience.
Your Guide to the Best Onboarding Software
Based on our clients’ experiences and our observations, we have prepared a brief guide to onboarding software. It will help you understand key features and factors to consider when evaluating available solutions.
💡 What types of onboarding software are available on the market?
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
Applicant Tracking Systems are typically associated with recruitment, but some ATS systems may include onboarding features. They enable the HR team to create employee profiles, automate workflows, and assign tasks to new employees.
HR Automation Solutions
These could be standalone tools used in various HR processes, such as simple time trackers. However, real-time and resource savings are achieved with comprehensive solutions – HR platforms that help reduce repetitive tasks in different HR processes, including onboarding new employees.
Customization Solutions
Personalized solutions address specific organizational needs and may involve combining an HR platform with other apps. They help achieve maximum process efficiency and enhance employee onboarding experiences.
💡 In what areas can onboarding tools bring improvement?
Automation of HR Processes
- Streamline administrative tasks such as document processing and data entry.
- Ensure greater accuracy and reduce the risk of human errors.
Task Allocation and Tracking
- Clearly define responsibilities during the onboarding process.
- Continuously monitor task progress.
Effective Employee Data and Performance Management
- Centralize employee data for easy access and analysis.
- Facilitate effective management of employee performance.
💡 Is implementing onboarding tools cost-effective?
Onboarding tools:
- Bring time and financial savings and reduce manual errors.
- Free up HR team resources for more strategic tasks.
- Are a strategic investment as they yield long-term benefits in terms of higher efficiency and increased employee engagement.
- Impact the company’s competitiveness as an employer and facilitate talent attraction by providing a positive candidate and employee experience.
💡 Can a company be competitive and attractive to new employees without using onboarding tools?
The larger the company, the greater the need for automation. Failure to implement automation tools, including onboarding, lowers efficiency and may result in a less attractive onboarding experience for new employees.
💡 What additional benefits do onboarding tools offer beyond administrative efficiency?
- Create a positive first impression for new employees.
- Provide a positive, consistent, and efficient onboarding experience for your new hires.
- Contribute to greater employee satisfaction and engagement.
- Reinforce the company’s values and mission.
- Position the company as forward-thinking and trend-aware, as well as competitive.
- Facilitate employee skill development by creating tailored educational paths for different roles in the organization.
- Keep the onboarding experience on the right track through timely reminders about onboarding tasks.
Top Employee Onboarding Software Features
When evaluating HR onboarding software, look for the following core features*:
✔️ Automated Task Assignment: Automate the assignment of onboarding tasks to HR team members and new hires.
✔️ Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Integration: Seamlessly integrate your onboarding software with your ATS to ensure a smooth transition from the hiring stage to onboarding.
✔️ Background Checks and Tax Forms: Ensure that the software supports background checks and simplifies the management of tax forms and related documentation. It’s a very interesting and useful add-on!
✔️ Customizable Workflows: Choose software that allows you to create customized onboarding workflows to match your unique HR processes.
✔️ Electronic Signatures: Enable electronic signatures to expedite the completion of necessary documentation and forms.
✔️ Employee Profiles and Organization Chart: Maintain detailed employee profiles and visualize the organization’s structure with an organization chart feature.
✔️ Learning Paths: Facilitate employee training by creating customized learning paths for different roles within the organization.
✔️ Onboarding Checklists: Access built-in onboarding checklists to keep track of progress and ensure that all required tasks are completed.
✔️ User-Friendly Interface: Go for a user-friendly onboarding software platform that requires minimal training for both HR professionals and new employees.
// * Disregard the sequence; all the features have been organized alphabetically for clarity.
Selecting the Right Solution for Onboarding Processes
With the right HR onboarding software, you can create a smooth and productive onboarding experience for new employees, which is essential for their success in your company. Before you choose an onboarding solution, consider the following factors:
Scalability:
Make sure that the software can grow along with the development of your organization and evolving onboarding needs.
Integration Capabilities:
Evaluate how well the software integrates with existing HR platforms and other necessary tools.
Costs and ROI (Return on Investment):
Consider the software costs and the potential return on investment in terms of time savings, improved efficiency, and reduced employee turnover costs.
Support and Training:
Assess the level of support and training offered by the software provider. Ensure they will provide you with a smooth implementation process and technical support in the future.
Security and Compliance:
Verify if the software meets industry standards for security and compliance to protect sensitive employee data.
User Reviews:
Seek feedback from HR teams and new employees who have used the software to evaluate user satisfaction and functionality.
