Onboarding - as a remedy for the need to remotely deploy a new employee

Onboarding is the term for introducing a new employee to his or her new workplace. Effective onboarding greatly facilitates the work of managers, co-workers and the newcomer himself. In today's post I would like to introduce ways and tools to optimize this process. Get to it!

It is helpful to prepare remote tools, so that you do not have to send each person a set of materials from the training: HR documentation, or various instructions on how to carry out the given procedures. Onboarding carried out with the help of a remote tool, will help you better monitor the onboarding and the moment of its completion, if only by checking the results of the test or the opinions of superiors and colleagues. This course of action allows employees to be comfortable with their work, and also (which is of great importance from the employer's point of view) significantly speeds up the onboarding process itself. This is especially important in this difficult time of pandemic.

A handful of statistics

Now for some hard numbers, showing why well-conducted onboarding is so important in an organization, and this is true regardless of its size, industry or area of operation

• According to Grand Thornton's International Business Report, 60% of large and medium-sized companies in Poland have problems finding suitably qualified employees.
• According to a Wynhurst Group study, there is a 22% employee turnover within the first 45 days of employment. 50% of people leave within the first 4 months of employment.
• Up to 91% of employees stay with a company longer when they participate in onboarding at the beginning of their employment.

Benefits of onboarding

• Increased commitment and motivation of new employees.
• Clearer identification of the employee with the company and better relationship building within the team/company.
• Faster achievement of full productivity by the employee.
• Better atmosphere in the workplace.
• Better opinion of the company, including the one so important in Social Media, e.g. on Facebook, online forums, portals like gowork.pl.
• Fewer employees leaving within the first 6 months of employment.

Onboarding in 7 steps

• Workstation

A new employee should have a workplace already organized. If, for example, we are talking about a person doing work in front of a computer, you should take care of: a desk, a chair, a computer, as well as the necessary access to the company's mailboxes or communication programs. Also make sure that the employee has his own locker and company gadgets, such as a mug or pen. A nice and very professional touch is to leave a check on the desk of the new hire with wishes for fruitful cooperation

• Before the first day, call the employee

The period that elapses from the time a candidate is informed of the positive outcome of the recruitment until he physically begins his new duties is up to several months. If a new member of our team has a long notice period in his previous job (it often happens that there is no way to shorten it). It is then worth calling with the assurance that the new job is ready and that the team is looking forward to seeing its new member. Also inform about the formalities, where the person is to go to take care of these formalities and how the first day will go. Such a gesture puts the company in a great light, and greatly reduces stress before the "first day" with a new employee

• Designate a "buddy"

From English "buddy" - this is a person who can become any of our employees. Inform him to simply help the new employee acclimate to the company. Buddy will be the person who will introduce him to others, invite him to have coffee together while showing where the canteen is :). In a remote working environment, Buddy will help to find his way around IT tools and better use them, and also introduce the employee to remote team meetings and help him break the first ice

• Onboarding in the company - its human face

First, do it by email - send a collective message to the whole company. Second, walk around the company together so that everyone can personally shake hands with the new employee. Use this moment to talk about what the person or department does, what the person being introduced can help with

• Assign tasks

It often happens that a newly hired employee doesn't know and doesn't have much to do. It is imperative that you take care to plan tasks for him in those first days. Simple tasks or passive participation in company meetings is a great time to learn more about the person, and to get to know his or her strengths and those weaknesses.

• Encourage open communication

Make sure that your company's credo is "There are no stupid questions" and that both you and the entire team are there to help in any way possible.

• Evaluation

This is an extremely important part of the whole process of implementing a new employee. It summarizes the entire activity. How can you most effectively conduct an evaluation? Use onboarding platforms for this purpose, with the help of which you will conduct various types of tests or surveys

The bottom line - make a good first impression on the new employee and provide tools for effective onboarding, and the new employee will surely repay you with full commitment and fantastic results at work!