When Onboarding New Employees, This Is How An Organization Succeeds

Employees who are motivated right from the start, who quickly reach their full productivity potential, who hardly make any mistakes, and who can't even think about quitting during the probationary period.

Does this sound like a dream candidate for your company? If so, we should take a look at how the onboarding of new employees is done today.

Keep in mind that with a successful onboarding, this dream can become a reality.

The first working day at the new company is upon us. An exciting day for the new employee, just as much as for you on the company side. After all, you want to make a good first impression.

However, this is not done with a simple greeting. Now is the time to decide how the integration into your company will proceed and whether the “new one” will feel comfortable.

Onboarding is the process of integrating a new employee into a company or “taking on board” a new team member. It is carried out in accordance with an orientation plan. This is drawn up by HR management and the functional department and contains measures tailored to the position in question.

How long the onboarding process takes varies from company to company. However, in no case is it finished after the first day of work. Up to six months or more can pass before onboarding is successfully completed.

Don't leave your new employees entirely on their own. Onboarding is for good reasons, and it's worth spending time on.

Goals of the onboarding process

The goal of onboarding is to integrate the new employee into the company in such a way that he or she can take on the defined areas of responsibility independently and without instructions.

This includes familiarization with the areas of responsibility and communication of expectations.

Also, important are social integration in the team, personal contacts within the company and getting to know each other.

Advantages of the orientation process

If the orientation of new employees is carried out carefully and effectively, this can have many advantages for both the company and the employee.

Increased motivation

If you welcome new employees in a structured and organized way and invest your working time, you show appreciation. In doing so, you increase motivation and satisfaction and give the new employee the feeling that turning down another job offer was the right decision.

Easier transition into the new work environment

Nobody likes to be thrown in at the deep end. Make it easy for the “newbie” and provide supportive onboarding.

Reduced employee turnover

Did the onboarding process not take place at all, or was it insufficient? If so, there is a risk of resignations during the probationary period. You can reduce staff turnover with an effective onboarding process and enhanced employee retention. In the long run, this will minimize your recruiting costs.

Faster productivity

Finding an employee was already costly. Now you want the new hire to be productive as quickly as possible. Onboarding is essential to ensure a fast learning curve.

Lower susceptibility to errors

If tasks are clear, and new employees are familiarized with them step by step, and responsibilities and contacts are known, then automatically fewer mistakes will happen.

Appreciation and respect

Did appointments in the orientation plan have to be canceled at short notice because the person in charge is on vacation? You can demonstrate your appreciation for the new employee by adhering to your training plan. After all, this will show that you welcome him or her to the team.

New employee orientation is comprehensive and does not begin at 8 a.m. on the first of the month when the employee starts work. Nor does it end at 5 p.m. on the same day.

The easiest way to look at onboarding is to divide it into different phases. Nevertheless, onboarding should flow smoothly.

Tip: Your new employee won't be working on-site at all? Get tips for recruiting remote employees here, using remote developers as an example.

Before the first day of work.

Onboarding begins with the signing of the contract. At this point, avoid radio silence and show your eagerness and motivation to welcome this new hire to the team soon.

In-house preparations for the onboarding process

• Create an individual onboarding plan.
• Clarify responsibilities and appoint a supervisor/mentor.
• Preparation of the workspace.
• Preparation of organizational tools.
• Informing employees and relevant departments.

Contact the new employee before the first day of work.

• Provide relevant initial information to get started, such as a company brochure.
• Give a contact person for questions before starting, or assign a supervisor/mentor.
• Discuss the first day or week's schedule, so the new employee can be prepared.

How about giving your new employee a self-made playlist as a welcome gift during orientation? Obviously, this has to be appropriate for your company. But it's a nice gesture that the new employee will certainly not forget soon.

The first working days are both exciting and should serve as an opportunity to familiarize oneself with the company. During this phase, it is important to ensure that the new employee is properly settled in the company, is welcomed into the team, and is familiarized with the most important processes and rules.

During the first one or two days, you can precisely define the onboarding plan on an hour-by-hour basis. This provides a structure for the new employee, and all responsible parties can set a specific time slot in order to know when they should be available for each training step.

Example:

• 8:30 am: Meet and greet by the line manager.
• 9:15 am: Introduction of the team and other departments.
• 11:30 am: On-the-job orientation.
• 12:00 pm: Lunch break, for example, with the manager or the supervisor/mentor.
• 13:15 pm: Key briefings.
• 14:00 pm: Work meeting.
• 16:00 pm: Evaluation meeting and farewell.

The supervisor and Human Resources Management are responsible for the onboarding process. Nevertheless, a supervisor/mentor can be beneficial. This person can become a direct point of contact and can shorten the orientation period of a new employee and make it overall a better experience. Ideally, the mentor occupies the same hierarchical level as the new employee.

Did you know that with new technologies, not only does the hiring process become more efficient, but so does the onboarding? This is possible, for example, with AI software tools that compile personalized information.

The first weeks and months

In the first weeks, the new employee should be encouraged to take over his or her areas of responsibility on his or her own. In this phase, set interim goals and involve the new employee in their first projects with their colleagues.

As the line manager, you should carry out regular feedback discussions in order to find solutions to any obstacles or difficulties during the onboarding process at an early stage.

So how successful was the initial training of your new employee, and what can still be improved in your company?

If you have created an onboarding plan, you can check how well it was adhered to. Determine the reasons why appointments were postponed or canceled. Then address these issues when planning for future onboarding.

Another option is employee surveys or personal feedback sessions. These can be conducted by the HR management team. Surveys can help you find out what the majority of new employees were satisfied or not satisfied with, what could be better, and why onboarding was perceived as supportive or less supportive.

In personal feedback meetings, you can determine where there is still room for improvement during the training process and plan accordingly.

For onboarding new employees, create a checklist. Ideally, you should specify when each item should be completed and who is responsible for it.

See below for an example of the first phase of onboarding:

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Introduction phase 1: Preparation
What	Responsibility	To be done by	Notes
Send information	Mrs. Eisemann	September 15, 2022
Prepare workplace	Mr. Mühlherr	30.09.2022
Inform colleagues and reception	Mr. Mühlherr	30.09.2022	All informed except Mr. Wagner (on vacation until 26.09.)
Assign supervisor/mentor	Mrs. Eisemann	20.09.2022
Create a training plan	Herr Mühlherr Frau Bauer	20.09.2022

Do you want the onboarding of new employees in your company to be as efficient as possible and without unnecessary costs? With the right orientation concept, this is possible, and you can also ensure greater employee satisfaction.

Before you can train new employees, you first have to find them. If you are facing this challenge and would like to save a lot of money in the process, we at TieTalent can help you. This is how you lay the optimal foundations for training new employees.