Onboarding Process: Beyond the Surface

So you have a group of new hires, and you're ready to begin welcoming them to the team and get them adjusted to their new roles. But how exactly is the best way to do that? How do you create an environment where everyone feels welcomed and assisted as they start their new venture?

That would be through creating a great onboarding program that introduces the new hires to the team and facilitates community, culture, readiness, and motivation to begin their new position. Our article will look at how you can implement onboarding best practices and strategies to give your newcomers a welcoming start to their new job.

What is Onboarding?

Nothing is worse for an employee than joining a new team and being thrown into action without direction or guidance. Unfortunately, more often than not, this makes them feel isolated, and they may never feel fully integrated into the company space.

To avoid this, you want to provide a way for them to get attuned to how the company runs and what's expected of them. Onboarding processing starts from the moment you hire that person and will include many meetings, learnings, and activities over a period of time.

Set a Timeframe

When you are looking to create an onboarding program, take time to figure out what your employees need to do their job well. The purpose of an onboarding process is to prep your employees for daily work and expectations of their role. That includes introducing them to company tools, systems, and operations.

Understanding what you want to achieve with your new hires after onboarding and beyond will determine how long the onboarding process will take.

It may take a couple of weeks and others a couple of months in some cases. But whatever the time frame, you want to know that by the end of it, your employees are confident, knowledgeable, and ready to not only begin their work but be successful at it.

Whatever time frame you choose, ensure it's enough time for everyone to adjust and understand the tools and systems well enough to perform their duties. The key here is to onboard in as little time as possible while still providing enough time for adjustment.

Create a Cross-Team Support System

Onboarding doesn't have to be up to only the HR department! For example, if you say your company values teamwork, then demonstrate that by involving some of your employees and managers to be a part of the onboarding process. Introduce them to the team and let them know that they can ask the other managers and staff if they need anything.

For example, if you have a developer who understands the process's ins and outs, they can provide assistance and encouragement for the new developers. In this way, the new people get to know the current employees and have a sense of inclusion, direction, and value from day one

Employees feel comfortable when they know they can ask for help at some point. In the first few weeks, an employee may have many questions, and you want to provide them with a way to get those answers.

Creating a support system within the group of new hires is also helpful. They must also get to know one another whether they'll be working directly or indirectly with each other. This can provide a sense of comfort in a new workspace. It also creates a more positive work environment, encouraging collaboration and teamwork. 

Use Technology to Simplify the Process

Before technology solutions for training and employee onboarding software were around, you most likely were handed a large package along with a couple of handbooks on your first day. You may have even sat through a few training videos or talks during the first week.

Things have changed with the growth and use of technology. While you'll have the typical paperwork to handle, a large portion of your onboarding can be utilized through onboarding software.

At Amedia, we build custom tech solutions for these purposes. Our Sidepro talent manager provides a one-stop shop for evaluations, courses, and certifications.

You can build reports, automate messaging, and create a simple way for your new employees to add feedback; really, the possibilities are many. In addition, our onboarding platform provides more efficiency and organization to your onboarding process, saving time and overall costs.

Are You Ready to Improve Your Onboarding?

Creating an onboarding process for the newest members of your team can go a long way in employee satisfaction, retention, and overall success. There are many ways you can onboard; it's up to your team to decide how you want to roll out the welcome mat for your new employees.

Remember that onboarding processing doesn't happen in one day. You can spread out the program so new hires don't get overwhelmed with a jam-packed schedule and an overload of information.

The process of onboarding new employees provides a sense of inclusiveness, preparedness, and a supportive work environment. If you are looking for a solution for your organization to make onboarding more streamlined and straightforward, contact us at Amedia! We are waiting for you!

At Amedia we work to improve every employee's learning experience through our innovative platform by applying gamification, agile methodologies and custom content. If you are looking for a solution for your organization to make onboarding more streamlined and straightforward, contact us at Amedia!