Building a great team starts with hiring great people and keeping them engaged and motivated. What better way to start your relationship with your team than by providing them with an onboarding experience rather than a plain old onboarding orientation.
What's "onboarding" anyway? Where do I start? What should we cover? How will it make a difference?
After reviewing this How-To Guide, you'll be able to answer those questions and more. But most importantly, you'll be well equipped to create your own awesome onboarding process.
Bonus: check out the New Employee Onboarding Checklist that you can customize and keep!
What's "Onboarding" Anyway?
The term "onboarding" is used to describe the action or process of integrating a new employee into an organization or familiarizing a new customer or client with one's products or services. Onboard training for new employees is one of the most frequently trending topics in HR circles.
Types of Onboarding
Onboarding can be broken down into two main types:
- Informal
- Formal
Informal Onboarding
Some describe this type of onboarding as "sink or swim." We're inclined to agree. With informal onboarding, employees are given the bare minimum - basically, whatever is required by law, and left to fend for themselves. There is no written procedure or policy. As you may have already guessed, this is not the type of onboarding we recommend.
Formal Onboarding
The formal kind of onboarding is more our style. It provides written policies and procedures and involves a step-by-step program for new employees that informs and, hopefully, interests them. New hires learn about how they will function as part of the team.
They're also introduced to the company’s goals and expectations, as well as workplace norms.
The formal onboarding process is put in place to acclimate new employees to their new work environment and make the transition for them and the team as smooth and stress-free as is possible.
The Onboarding Plan
The time, money, and effort you put into developing and implementing a solid onboarding plan for new hires will prove its worth in the creation of a solid team. But first, we need a plan.
Handling New Hires
The first step is to determine what level of onboarding your staff can realistically maintain. You don't want to spend all this time developing an extremely detailed process that ends up becoming everyone's worst nightmare.
For example, if you've only got 3 people on your team and you're each doing the work of 2-3 people, you don't have time to hold a new hire's hand for 3 weeks. You definitely need to make time to spend with a new hire, but you may want to opt for a few more video-hosted portions of your plan.
Ultimately, you don't want your office's new onboarding process to become a burden on anyone else, so it's important to be realistic about what will be included in your new hire training, orientation, and integration.
Everyone On Board
The success of a team and a company largely depends on the level of satisfaction felt by that team. Everyone wants to feel like they're part of the decisions that affect them and for most small businesses, a new hire affects everyone.
Don't leave anyone on your team out of the discussion about new hire onboarding. Whether their suggestions make the final cut or not, the opportunity to contribute and be heard is what matters.
Pre-Plan Questions
The following questions should be answered at the start of your onboarding plan makeover and they should be a collective answer from your team, not just the senior tier:
- When should onboarding start?
- How long should the onboarding of each new hire be considered active?
- What impression do you want new employees to have at the end of the first day?
- What do new employees need to know about the culture and work environment?
- What role will each person on the team play in the onboarding process?
Instead of just one massive brainstorming session, consider emailing these questions to everyone on your team with a note that asks for their thoughts. This will not only garner you cool points and make your team feel valued, but you're likely to get more honest and thoughtful answers.
Once everyone's opinions are in, get together as a team and talk about the ideas and suggestions offered. Maybe order some pizza?
Remember that your team's buy-in to the whole process is what will make or break the effectiveness of your new onboarding plan, so be sure to package your pitch just right.
Starting Them Early
Whether to start your onboarding process before or after your new hire's first day is entirely up to your organization. There are arguments for both sides. We're inclined to go with the early birds, mainly to get a headstart on collecting employee information and getting them set up and ready to hit the ground running.
The Welcome Package
A welcome letter sent in a custom tote bearing your company logo would be a great choice for a welcome gesture. It would not only make your new hire feel special, but it would also help them feel like a team member.
Keep in mind that companies that provide their teams with company swag have a 13.9% turnover rate versus a 48.4% turnover rate for companies that don't.
Come on, everybody loves a t-shirt! Apparel or totes or anything with your company logo is not only a great way to welcome your new hires, but it's also an excellent way to strengthen your company culture and keep your team feeling like a team.
Our friends at bagmasters.com have everything you need and more! Check them out at www.bagmasters.com and get your swag on!
The Office Prep
Setting up a new hire for success starts with ensuring that they have the access (doors, software, parking, etc.), devices (computer, cell phone, etc.), and office furniture (desk, chair, lamp, etc.) that they may need on their first day.
The list of items to prepare for each new hire will vary, but a standard foundation of the following should give you a good start:
- Desk
- Chair
- Floor Mat (if necessary)
- Phone (landline/mobile)
- Computer and/or laptop
- -all software programs needed should be installed and ready to go
- -all default login IDs and passwords should be ready
- Pens, notebooks, folders, etc
- Office entry and restroom keys, as applicable
- Any security clearance needed?
- Parking?
Having your newest team member set up and ready to go shows them that they're joining an interactive team with a leader that puts their money where their people are.
New Hire Paperwork
Filling out I-9s and W-4s is not what most people consider a good time, but it is necessary. You might as well get it out of the way as soon as possible.
Here are the standard forms needed for new hires, regardless of position or industry:
- Offer letter (should go out with the welcome package)
- Form I-9
- W-4
- State new hire tax forms
- Employment agreement
- Employee handbook and acknowledgment of receipt of the handbook
- Direct deposit authorization
- Emergency contact information
- Policy and any handbook addendum acknowledgments
- Benefits information and forms
No Second Chance for First Impressions
A new hire's first day is likely the one that will always be fresh in their mind. Don't waste the opportunity to imprint a positive memory and all that can grow from there.
First Day To-Do List
On your new hire's first day. you want to be sure and set the right tone. We recommend sitting down with your new team member first thing and going over the following:
- Position information
- First week's schedule and work hours
- Professional ethics and the code of conduct
- All policies, such as safety, security, social media, and sick and vacation
- Explain compensation and benefits
Once that's squared away, give your new employee a tour of your offices and get the rest of your team involved. Have a company-sponsored breakfast or lunch with planned icebreaker activities or games. Keep the atmosphere low stress.
Remember that question about how you want your new hire to feel at the end of the day? Ask yourself if you've accomplished that. Then ask THEM how they're feeling about their first day. Hopefully, the two answers aren't too far apart.
Follow-Ups and Run Downs
Don't let the first day be the only time you pay attention to the onboarding and acclimation of your new hire. Be sure that you put follow-up reminders on your calendar. The frequency is up to you, but try not to let too much time pass between checking in or the whole concept loses significant steam.
New Employee Onboarding Checklist Staffing and HR experts agree that complex processes like onboarding, especially ones that involve requirements like tax forms, are always best tended to with a checklist. We have created just such a checklist!
Click here to download your New Employee Onboarding Checklist.
Keep the Party Going
Great teams are hard to come by and take a long time to build. Start yours off right! Now you've got this Guide and your New Employee Onboarding Checklist in your arsenal, use them!
One last note before we go...
All the fuss over your new hire could make some of your existing team members feel neglected. Keep them engaged and feeling valued with a little company swag from our friends at Bagmasters.com. Click here to see about having them handle that swag so you can pass it around to your team.
Bagmasters.com can hook you and your team up with backpacks, totes, lanyards, stationery - or business card holders, and aprons! All with the company logo proudly displayed. Swag and advertising, that's a win-win situation!
