4 Steps To A Better Onboarding Program

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You’ve found the right candidate for the job, but how can you make sure that they hit the ground running? Onboarding is critical to business success as it ensures that staff are able to make a positive impact immediately, plus it will help them to feel settled and keep morale high (this can also prevent staff turnover). Essentially, onboarding is the process of integrating new employees and will help them to understand their role, know how the business operates and meet their colleagues.

So, what can you do to improve the onboarding process?

1. Preboarding

Preboarding takes place between the time that a candidate accepts the job offer and their first day. This is a key period that will help them to feel settled and get their feet under the desk on the very first day. Preboarding activities can include a tour of the office, providing them with all of the documentation that they need and introducing them to their colleagues (a welcome lunch is a nice touch).

2. Onboarding Kit

An onboarding kit is also a smart idea as this essentially gives all of the information that the new recruit needs to get started and allows them to go through it in their own time. Starting a new job can be daunting and stressful and it is easy to forget basic information, so the onboarding kit should contain informational booklets that will show them everything that they need to know. In addition to information about their role, this could also include useful info on the facilities, parking etc. as well as a few welcome gifts.

3. Mentors

Assigning new recruits a mentor is smart as it will give them someone that they can go to for advice and support in the early stages. As a new recruit, you do not want to feel you are wasting anyone’s time, so a mentor is helpful for learning the ropes. Additionally, this can be an easy way for them to start building relationships at work (crucial for getting settled). Of course, just make sure that you are picking suitable mentors that will show them the ropes and help them to feel welcome!

4. Priority Job Specific Training

There is an enormous amount of learning to do when starting any new job along with the stress and anxiety of starting somewhere new and different. This can be overwhelming, which is why you need to create a plan to manage how much information they are getting each day. You should also prioritise job-specific training so that they can get started with their role from the start.

These are 4 steps that you can take that should help you to improve the onboarding process and allow new recruits to hit the ground running, feel welcome and make an immediate positive impact on your company.