The Difference Between Employee Preboarding vs. Onboarding

If you work in Human Resources, you understand how much time and effort goes into finding a new employee for your company. You must then enthusiastically welcome the recruit and tell them everything they need to know about being a part of your firm.

Many new employees are eager to jump right in and begin working on their first day. However, a few formalities and introductions must be completed before proceeding. 

While much of it may be uninteresting to an enthusiastic new hire anxious to get started, onboarding (or preboarding) is critical for every firm. The employee must:

• Meet their new coworkers,

• Become familiar with their work area, 

• Tour the entire workplace, 

• Complete crucial documents or paperwork, 

• Learn how the company functions daily, and 

• Be provided with the necessary tools to execute the job. Then, they'll be able to get right to work.

What is onboarding?

Onboarding is how new workers gain the necessary skills and knowledge to become productive members of the company. Onboarding is a crucial step in the hiring process that transforms an applicant into an employee. Formalised onboarding methods include:

• Good set-up.

• Procedural-based policies.

• Training for newly hired applicants.

• Gathering feedback from both the recruit and the hiring manager.

New candidates will feel welcomed and valued if the process is automated and well-organised. From the standpoint of the new hire, they are likely to feel overwhelmed and nervous. As a result, a more robust onboarding programme will assist them in settling in and familiarising themselves with the organisation's physical structure as well as its working culture.

Developing, implementing, and maintaining a successful onboarding programme necessitates the entire organisation's participation. Throughout the onboarding process, an employer committed to their onboarding uses tactical and strategic efforts, an organised strategy, and the latest technology.

These efforts pay off quickly by protecting an investment in recruiting and hiring high-performing candidates, resulting in increased revenue, improved client experience, and the protection of the organisation's brand name.

On the other hand, a poor onboarding programme results in a befuddled newly hired employee who is less likely to stay long with your company and is expected to be significantly less productive. 

What is preboarding?

While onboarding is vital, it can be time-consuming at times. It necessitates removing an enthusiastic and motivated employee from their workstation for an extended time and preventing them from becoming accustomed to the work they will be doing every day, which does not advance the organisation.

Many firms have begun the process of familiarising candidates with the organisation between the time the applicant accepts an employment offer in writing and their first day on the job. Employee preboarding is the term for this process.

Some of these procedures, such as providing the corporate computer and possibly going over the company policies, will require personal attendance. Other items that don't need much explanation, such as completing tax and insurance paperwork, can be addressed via official email before the employee starts working. 

Preboarding saves time and allows new hires to understand and focus on their work from the first day. Though, there are various other reasons to choose employee preboarding over standard onboarding.

In other words, 'preboarding' refers to the entire process of engaging with a candidate that your organisation has in place from the time the application accepts a job offer until their first day on the job.

Preboarding prepares employees before they even start working for you.

Preboarding a new employee

As their first day of work approaches, your primary attention as an employer should be preparing your new hire and instilling some excitement in them.

How you greet new hires generates a first impression and reflects on your company's culture, budget, employee engagement, and inventiveness.

However, the most important thing to remember is to have a defined preboarding plan and protocol.

Employee preboarding entails much more than simply delaying a few onboarding processes until the employee's first day. It focuses on welcoming and engaging a new hire and putting their mind at ease before they start working, in addition to avoiding all the formalities and anxieties.

An employer may eliminate a lot of these unpleasant feelings. Rather than merely delivering some official papers for the new hire to fill out and return, attempt to keep them engaged by welcoming them in the following ways:

• Introduce the new hire to their coworkers and allow them to get to know each other during a video conference, if possible. Assign them to a company-wide email chain or a Skype group, depending on your preferred method of communication. Send an email to the entire organisation introducing the new hire's name and background information, and encouraging everyone to welcome their new colleague.

• Invite them to visit the workplace before their start date. Give them a brief tour of the organisation and introduce them to their coworkers or mentors over a cup of coffee, and show them where they'll be working.

• Schedule a lunch or coffee meeting with their immediate team and boss so that they may get to know each other in a relaxed environment.

Source: Evalground