Stop Wasting Time Onboarding New Hires, Try These Instead

A good onboarding process means 91% retention of first-year workers.

That's a great record for any company to have, right? But chances are, if you work in HR for a startup or SME, when new hires come in you have to spend time making introductions, ensuring they've got their emails set up, that their cubicle and hardware are ready, getting them access cards... and the list goes on!

It can be time consuming, and a bother during high-intensity periods (payroll!). But onboarding is a critical part of your job because:

According to Indeed, 65% of employees look for a new position within the first 3 months.

You've spent a lot of time and effort on these new staff even before hiring them. Don't lose them because of a bad first impression! Here are 7 ways to make onboarding work for you:

1. Create an Onboarding Handbook
 

• Welcome Message
• Company History, Mission, Vision
• Documents & Forms
• Eligible Claims, Benefits, Perks
• Rules & Regulations
• Organisation Chart
• Sales Kit
• Processes, Procedures, & Policies
• Tools & Technology Access
• Office Floorplan
• Eateries and Facilities Nearby
• FAQ

A handbook containing all the above, whether printed or online, is a great way for new hires to find all the info they need (without bothering you) and get to know the company at their own pace. Plus, with an FAQ, you won't have to keep re-explaining how to refill the water dispenser or where to pay for season parking.

Some companies even produce branded 'welcome kits', which can include anything from t-shirts and gadgets to books and stationaries, and even potted plants! 

2. Write E-mail Templates

"Thats just how we do things around here."

Essentially, there are just 2 email templates to prepare. The first is for pre-boarding to be sent internally to all staff, detailing:

• Who the new hire(s) is
• What their position and roles are
• When do they start
• Some fun facts about them

In the email, you can encourage staff to write a welcome message to the new hires.

Secondly, an e-mail template to send to new hires on their first day where you can include:

• Welcome message
• Contact info for key departments
• Login and other access details
• Intranet or internal comm setup

3. Schedule Check-Ins

Onboarding is NOT a one-day affair, it can last weeks and even months! The critical times to check in on your new hire are:

• within the first 3 weeks, and;
• within the first 3 months

Do yourself a favour by scheduling these check-ins in advance, and automate emails or messages to remind new hires that you're there to help them. It's tempting to do a catch-up session with ALL your new hires at once, but it's better to keep it one-to-one so your hire feels more valued.

On that note, its best to have first-days happen in the middle or end of the week, so new hires have the weekend and won't feel too overwhelmed.

4. Organize a Lunch

Pizza brings everyone together.

You have to eat anyway, right? Invite everyone in the relevant department for lunch or happy hour with the new hire, maybe throw in drinks and snacks too!

For larger companies, especially those with more than 100 staff, make an effort to arrange a lunch for new hires to meet the senior management or bosses. Knowing the company leaders better increases the chances that new hires will stay.

5. Appoint a Buddy

"How you doing there, buddy?"

You can't ALWAYS be there to keep an eye on the new hire, so appoint a buddy (or mentor, if you have the resources) to help do that. A buddy can just be someone the new hire can have lunch with during the first few weeks, or to introduce them on the internal comm system (Slack, Whatsapp, etc). 

Buddies help ease new hires' assimilation into the company and its culture. Because few people want extra work, you can set a monthly rotation system so everyone in the department takes turns to be the designated 'buddy'.

6. Delegate the Walk-About

Or row-about, if you prefer.

While you should personally do the introductions of your new hire to their respective team or departments, you can assign the rest-of-the-office introductions (and walk-about, if you're busy) to a senior member of the new hires' team.

Why? Because an experienced staff will be more familiar with other key colleagues or departments that the new hire should know, who they will be working closely with.

7. Use the 30-60-90-Days Plan

Using such a plan can align expectations, set the direction for the new hire, and measure their progress.

No New Hires Because You Didn't Manage to Hire?

An onboarding system isn't much use if you've got no new staff. So post your vacancies with us and get minimum 30 applicants, guaranteed!