The onboarding process is the catalyst for energizing new hires and employee retention. Imagine you are at a networking event and you meet a person that appears to be a great fit for your organization. The level of excitement has peaked for both parties and contact information has been exchanged. A few weeks pass and the interview, culture screening processes are complete. Expectations are set between the candidate and the hiring team. The new team member starts on Monday. How do you get the new hire up to speed to make an immediate positive impact? Every organization will benefit from a solid onboarding process. Many small to medium size businesses do not have a Human Resources department, therefore someone needs to step up and create an onboarding process that will start the fire within the hearts and minds of the new team member(s). Don’t complain about not having enough HR resources, step up your game! The following is not a comprehensive list; however, it may give you some ideas to improve your current process.
- Whether it’s HR or the hiring manager someone has to be accountable for the process.
- Notify the employees about the new hire and post a picture of the employee
- The use of a LCD screen in the cafeteria or break room would be ideal for displaying basic information about the new hires
- Use technology to simplify the process
- Have a monthly new employee reception to greet the new hires and ensure company leaders are in attendance.
- The onboarding process will need to start before hiring decisions are made. Build in time to order equipment or furniture
- Ensure the employee has all of the basics for day one. Simple things such as system access (internal & external), supplies and a desk
- Assign a coach or mentor for the new hire
- Culture and brand training is paramount
- Conduct an onboarding process survey for continual process improvement
- Continue to build and teach company culture on a quarterly basis
- Recruit an executive sponsor to ensure ongoing support from senior leadership
You may end up having a candidate that should have received an Oscar for faking their way through the screening process. If so, strongly consider terminating the new hire if they can’t fit into the culture.
