Employee onboarding is an essential process for transitioning new hires into their job, team, and company. It serves two primary purposes: transitioning employees into the company culture and familiarising them with the tools and resources they need to be productive. Onboarding is often broken into three parts: orientation, onboarding, and work training, but an effective onboarding process encompasses orientation and work training together.

Orientation is a one-time event that welcomes new employees and introduces them to the organization’s culture, mission, and values. It typically involves completing new employee paperwork, learning about benefit plans, reviewing key policies and administrative procedures, and getting acquainted with the organisation’s technology.

Onboarding helps new employees integrate with other employees, management, and the corporate culture, and understand how to be successful in their new role. Work training helps employees learn the specific tasks, procedures, technology, and resources they need to perform their job effectively.

5 essential purposes to consider when onboarding new employees

Validate the new hire’s decision

Keep in contact with new hires between offer acceptance and their first day to give them confidence in the organisation. Self-onboarding software is an effective way to achieve this. By allowing new hires to complete paperwork, get acquainted with their team, and share their hobbies and interests before their first day, you’ll make them feel more confident and reduce their stress on their first day.

Immerse new hires into the organisation

Help new hires understand your organisation’s unique DNA. Educate them on the organisation’s beginnings, major milestones, mission, vision, and values. Share any inside jokes or anecdotes that will help them fit in.

Provide clear expectations

Communicate clear cultural and work responsibilities to new hires. Help them understand where they fit into the big picture, how their work helps the organisation reach its goals, and how they can apply the organisation’s values on a daily basis. Explain what behaviours are encouraged and discouraged within your culture.

Encourage engagement

Encourage new hires to engage with the organisation and their team. Offer opportunities for them to get involved in company events, projects, or volunteer work. This will help them feel like a part of the team and build a sense of community.

Monitor progress

Monitor new hires’ progress and provide feedback regularly. Set clear goals and expectations and provide guidance on how to achieve them. Make sure they have the resources and support they need to succeed.

A comprehensive employee onboarding process that includes orientation, onboarding, and work training is essential for transitioning new hires into their job, team, and company. By validating new hires’ decisions, immersing them into the organisation, providing clear expectations, encouraging engagement, and monitoring their progress, you’ll set them up for success and help retain your workforce.