Onboarding plays a vital role in integrating new hires into an organization, yet few employees believe their company has a great onboarding program. While orientation focuses on paperwork, effective onboarding goes beyond that, ensuring new employees are engaged. Investing in your onboarding procedures enhances productivity, loyalty, engagement, and supports early career development.
It starts with pre-onboarding. These are strategies things that can help new employees establish a connection with the organization even before their start date. This may include facility tours, informational materials, care packages, and assigning a buddy to answer questions and provide guidance.
While all employees benefit from onboarding, tailoring the process to distinct groups enhances its effectiveness. Leaders require focused integration and understanding of the company culture. Managers may need extra focus on reviewing policies, administering programs, and developing coaching skills. Remote workers need guidance on communication and other team expectations. Regardless of the position, every new hire has specific needs that can be addressed through tailored onboarding approaches.
Employers can use a variety of means to deliver the components of an onboarding program effectively. Online and virtual onboarding have become popular and offer flexibility but may create a disconnect in the onboarding process, so be sure to include a human touch in your program. Including interactive games, videos, and team-building exercises can help create engagement.
Overall, onboarding is a crucial factor in determining an employee’s success within a company and improving your process is worth the investment.