10 Tips on How to Improve Employee Onboarding Experience

Since I mean first impressions to last, carefully thought-out on boarding or on-boarding procedures are essential in today’s organizations. It is a crucial aspect of improving employee satisfaction and retention. In this article, I will show you how to improve your employee’s on boarding or onboarding experience.

Companies are constantly in a battle to win the best talent, so keeping talent is more important than ever. Prospective employees see a few elements as key to whether or not they choose to join an organization. 

Some of these include instilling company culture from day one, aiming for streamlined productivity, and fast integration into the workplace.

But attracting and keeping the best talent all comes down to employee onboarding.

Studies show that employees with a positive onboarding experience feel 18x more likely to be committed to their organization.

Commitment ties directly to an employee’s inclination to leave; if they’re engaged, that propensity is relatively low.

What is Onboarding for New Employees

We refer the procedures used to incorporate new hires into the company to as “onboarding.”

It contains exercises that enable brand-new hires to finish the new hire orientation process and learn about the company’s structure, culture, vision, mission, and values. 

The onboarding process can last one or two days for some firms, while it could take many weeks or even months for other organizations.

Orientation and on boarding or onboarding are frequently mistaken terms.

While onboarding is a full process including management and other employees and can continue up to 12 months, orientation is a crucial step for completing paperwork and other everyday activities.

All new hires receive onboarding, but the caliber of the onboarding matters.

Too frequently, onboarding involves handing a new hire a stack of paperwork and having a manager or HR specialist show them around the workplace while randomly introducing them to people. 

However, when onboarding is done well, it creates a basis for both the employee’s and the employer’s long-term success.

It can boost output, foster engagement and loyalty, and support staff members’ early career success in the new company.

We’ve put together some free ways to onboard employees to make their first impressions of your business excellent.

1. Begin a Conversation early with a new Employee

The first day at work seems frightening for a new employee.

Employers must involve new employees in team communications as soon as they make an offer to improve the onboarding or onboarding experience, rather than waiting until the first day. 

They usually know the practice as employee pre-boarding. Employers provide clients with materials during pre-boarding to update them on team dynamics and job responsibilities.

To keep organized, you can use one of the best onboarding tools.

Employees who are considering joining the company frequently have many questions, so providing the answers in advance would increase the likelihood that they will sign on.

Pre-boarding communication ensures employees get to know their coworkers.

Sending out emails with information about the company, its mission, vision, and values will help you engage your audience. 

Sending out informational emails about the company, its mission, vision, and values will help you engage your audience. Share your organization’s objectives and any details you have on your corporate culture. 

On top of the shared business information, it’s a good idea to encourage them to share any feedback or ask questions they may have.

This starts the dialogue and makes new hires feel welcomed before they even start working.

2. Make Them Feel Welcome

A pleasant greeting on a new hire’s first day is crucial to their happiness at your business since first impressions matter.

You can be sure that your new team member will soon depart and look for a firm with more robust onboarding experiences if they don’t feel appreciated or welcome during their onboarding process.

You can formally greet new hires by:

– Make sure their desk, computer, passwords, ID badges, and other items are ready for them when they arrive.

– Show them around the workplace and the utility spaces.

– Distribute an employee welcome package that includes a present, messages from the team, and their manager.

– Arrange an introductory appointment with their manager for the following morning.

– Arrange and pay for a team lunch.

3. Make Interesting Training Resources

Engaging training materials are required for onboarding or onboarding employees.

Although video lectures are preferred by more than 80% of new recruits over conventional education methods, you could also wish to include team-building exercises, games, and scavenger hunts. 

Prizes usually increase involvement. Schedule that professional help right away if you want to enhance the staff onboarding process.

4. Maintain a Rigidly Planned Schedule

Strong onboarding procedures increase productivity by over 70% and new hire retention by 82% in organizations.

There are a few advantages to planning a new hire’s entire first week or two in advance. They’ll never be left unsure of what to do next, for one thing.

Trust us. Perhaps most significantly, it conveys the appropriate image. We are skilled at what we do.

Managers and HR users can make task lists and timetables for new hires using a shared calendar or an onboarding tool so they always know where they need to be and what they’ll be doing.

New employees are given direction by scheduling tasks even as vague as “set up your PC to your preference,” so they can make new hires’ schedules less rigid as they receive assignments and workloads increase so they can complete tasks at their own pace.

5. Describe the Team and Your Onboarding Partner

Make sure your staff can connect with the new hire during their first week on the job by taking the time to introduce yourselves to them.

Early introductions encourage dialogue and make it easier for your new team member to work and socialize with other employees.

Another fantastic suggestion is to pair the new employee with a buddy. This gives them a direct contact to reach out to if they have questions while going through the onboarding process. 

Because it enables quick adaption to the company’s procedures and tools, productivity is increased.

A friend will frequently provide helpful advice and guidance while you carry out regular duties. Within the first month of training, this makes the recruit feel more at ease.

6. Plan for the Future

Many workers fail because they are unsure of where they belong in a company. This is an excellent chance to sit down with them and discuss your unique career objectives.

Show them how they can advance their careers both within the organization and after they depart, as well as how they can advance the organization.

7. Disperse the Documents

They fill onboarding documentation out in person at a desk or in a conference room, according to 80% of HR administrations.

There’s a reason onboarding is frequently connected with a ton of paperwork: I-9s, employee handbooks, payroll papers, and non-disclosure agreements.

However, if you hand your new hire all the required paperwork at once, they can become disenchanted or, worse, overwhelmed.

Instead, disperse the paperwork so that new hires can complete it as they have time. You can post all required forms online and set completion deadlines using onboarding software.

This allows you some flexibility for new hires regarding when and where they sign the dotted line, while also allowing you to keep track of which forms are completed and those are still ongoing.

We should give every new hire the chance to have a private meeting with their manager or a member of the leadership group.

During these sessions, managers can outline the standards for the employee while also giving them a chance to ask questions and provide feedback. 

8. Set up One-on-one Conversations

These meetings can simplify the onboarding process and keep new hires on track because new hires are frequently overwhelmed with information.

9. Request Regular Feedback

One of the most valuable things an organization can have is employee feedback. New hires are not exempt from this. Plan check-in meetings as they advance through your onboarding program.

New hires get the chance to discuss their onboarding or onboarding experience, any potential pain points, and any areas they would change if they could at these meetings. 

Their comments can help you figure out how to enhance onboarding, increase productivity, and make sure you’re giving people the chance for quick integration into the company.

10. Introduce Them to the Equipment and Procedures

Given that the 21st century is well underway, most businesses have devoted funds to HR, on boarding or onboarding, and productivity technologies.

Each of these resources, which are often used by every employee daily, should be discussed during onboarding.

If you’re lucky, they may know some of your tools to your new employee. But occasionally they aren’t and require instruction. 

Having a team member walk them through the tools step by step is a wonderful idea. Invite the employee to then finish an online training program that goes through how to utilize the product once again.

Give the new employee some real-world examples later and give them the opportunity to ask questions. You’ve now attempted to assist them.

Why Should your Company Enhance its Onboarding Procedure?

Make it worthwhile for the talent to take part in onboarding if you want to learn how to improve it.

In this manner, they will remain with you long enough for you to recoup your recruitment and training costs. The reasons for enhancing onboarding or onboarding of new employees include:

1. Increase Staff Retention

Most workplaces are experiencing turnover rates that are over 20% higher than average. If their time working for you is anything more than positive, almost everyone will eagerly search for greener pastures. 

Starting with a thorough onboarding procedure that emphasizes employee growth and business culture.

2. Bring in More Candidates

Many job searchers use websites like Indeed or Glassdoor to learn more about working for your company.

In order for prospective prospects to get a good initial impression of your company, you need happy employees to submit favorable reviews.

However, a bad onboarding experience may affect your organization’s ability to recruit talent.

After their early onboarding experience, 20% of new workers, according to research, won’t suggest their companies to people they know in their personal lives.

3. Reduce the Cost of Hiring

Getting fresh help is expensive. When you invest in getting employees on board just to have them leave not long after, recruitment costs may even be worse.

4. Boost Personnel Productivity

Your new hires probably won’t start working right away on their first day. They must understand their responsibilities and the overall corporate culture. It may take months to reach your full potential. 

It can decrease this lag by over 70% with proper on boarding or onboarding.

It takes careful consideration to onboard new personnel. Employers must design a strategy and plan specifically for each function.

They should also assess various training approaches and use the most effective ones based on the circumstances. 

It’s also a good idea to use onboarding tools for new hires to speed up and increase productivity. To boost results, attempt to make your onboarding fun and engaging.

Frequently Asked Questions