The first few weeks on the job can have a major impact on how quickly employees become comfortable and productive in their new role. Still, many firms struggle with creating an efficient employee onboarding program that engages and inspires new hires from day one.
Fortunately, with the right approach to onboarding, you can craft a stellar experience for every one of your incoming workers. Here are five tips for a better employee onboarding process based on my experience starting with Boomer Consulting, Inc. this past year.
Have a plan
Creating a timeline and checklist for new employees is essential to creating an effective onboarding process. Having a timeline and checklist helps to ensure accountability for completing all the necessary paperwork and training the new team member on all technology and processes. It also ensures that they carve out time to meet their new coworkers and learn everything they need to know to get started in their first few weeks on the job.
At Boomer Consulting, part of my onboarding involved going through various PowerPoint presentations led by various team members that covered essential things to know about the company and my role. I also had a meeting with core team members that I would be working with to help create the checklist of what I needed to get done throughout the first six months on the job. This was helpful as it ensured we covered many important topics. Plus, I could refer to the slides later on if needed.
Incorporate company culture into your onboarding
Including company culture in your onboarding processes can help foster a sense of belonging and loyalty among new employees. It's important to create an environment where newcomers can feel comfortable asking questions, expressing opinions and making mistakes without fear of humiliation or retribution.
When employees feel accepted, respected, and valued as part of the organization right from the start, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated to do their best work.
At Boomer Consulting, part of my introduction to company culture involved meeting with a culture coach. During these meetings, I learned about the company's history, values and mission through informal conversations. It helped me better understand the company culture and feel like part of the team from day one. These meetings have also given me the space to ask any questions I might have about the company and culture. My culture coach has been able to facilitate great conversations to allow me to become the best I can be in my role.
Provide ongoing support
It's essential to provide new employees with ongoing support as they adjust to their roles. It's normal for people to make mistakes or have questions at first, so having someone to turn to can help them grow and develop quickly.
At Boomer Consulting, I was paired with a mentor who is in a similar role to mine. My mentor was able to take time to meet with me weekly to not only train me on various aspects of my new role, but give me time to ask one-off questions. This has helped me to develop into my new role quickly and learn the ins and outs of the company.
Introduce the new team members to their coworkers
Introducing new employees to their coworkers helps them to feel more comfortable and connected within the organization. It also facilitates successful collaboration between colleagues and creates a sense of belonging and community.
At Boomer Consulting, we're a fully remote team, but I still met everyone in the company over my first few weeks on the job. One of my first duties was to set up 25-minute meetings with every individual in the company. This was daunting at first, but it allowed me to get to know colleagues I'd be working with and people in other departments so I could learn more about how the company works. I was also tasked with setting up a time to meet with every individual in the company three months after my initial meeting to continue to get to know them.
Make sure they have all the necessary tools and resources to do their job
Nobody wants to report to their first day at a new job just to discover they don't have the tools and technology to start being productive. At Boomer Consulting, we ship all necessary technology to new people and ensure it arrives and is set up before their first day. This allows them to hit the ground running and start contributing quickly. We make sure to have a couple of days of onboarding in person so that they know how to set up the technology and are ready for their first day.
Overall, creating an effective employee onboarding process takes time and effort, but it helps new employees feel comfortable, prepared and engaged in their roles. With the right onboarding strategy in place, you can help ensure employee retention and engagement in the long term. It's worth the time and effort to ensure that new hires have a positive experience and are well-prepared to contribute to the team.
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Parker Bohon, Solutions Advisor at Boomer Consulting, Inc., is excited to work closely with our members. Her primary focus is on our communities, including the Boomer Technology Circles, CIO Circle, and Marketing and Business Development Circle.