Did you know, companies with effective onboarding processes see 2.5 times more revenue growth? How would you rate your organization’s onboarding process?
In this blog post, we will be discussing the hurdles in getting onboarding right, how to build a well-defined onboarding process, and how to track our success rate.
1. Challenges in getting onboarding right
Given the current pandemic situation, many new hires find themselves starting a new role remotely. For individuals who have never worked remotely before, it can be overwhelming for them to adapt quickly to a new environment, take on multiple virtual calls a day, and to learn new software independently.
Remote working also increases the chance of new hires getting cut out of the loop, whereby they get left out in certain team meetings or email threads because their team members were not aware that they were part of the project.
Last but not least, difficulty in navigating roles and responsibilities. Even with an organizational structure, it might not cover every role in detail and new hires may get lost when in need of help. In the long run, all these factors could lead to isolation and disengagement from the lack of human interaction.
There are also hurdles faced by HR, managers, and leaders when it comes to executing an effective onboarding process. Read the 5 most common challenges they face here.
2. Building a well-defined onboarding process
There are 4 building blocks to achieve a successful onboarding and we term it as 4Cs: Compliance, Clarification, Culture and Connection.
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Compliance |
Organizations have to make sure new hires understand the company policies and are informed of what they are supposed to do on their first day or week. Following up with that, it would be great to schedule an orientation with the team to introduce each of them. |
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Clarification |
To cover both new hires’ and their team members’ roles and responsibilities, and to set realistic expectations and milestones to build up their momentum. |
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Culture |
Notify new hires of any weekly/monthly meetings and what topics will be covered in each session. Also, share instances of how the team communicates and collaborates to better allow new hires to see themselves in the big picture. |
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Connection |
Provide opportunities for new hires to form relationships and make sure they find a sense of belonging in the team. For instance, a buddy system provides companionship and guidance in their onboarding process. |
Leverage a platform like EngageRocket to customize and automate onboarding surveys to check the pulse of new hires from time to time. This process saves up time on administrative matters and the survey questionnaire is completely customizable to your organization’s preference - depending on which specific area you would like to measure on.
With the analytics from the survey, you will be able to determine if an individual is satisfied with their role and their onboarding experience, willingness to commit, and any potential gaps to bridge.
3. Tracking the Success of Your Onboarding Process
Organizations can benchmark their success by 2 main branches:
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Increased time to productivity whereby new hires are able to produce quality work within the given timeframe.
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Improved talent retention post on-boarding which refers to a higher rate of commitment and reduced number of turnovers.
Onboarding a new hire is a necessary process. However, it can be very challenging to welcome your staff members into your team in a way that’s both productive and engaging. We hope this write-up provided some insights and ideas on how to bring on a better onboarding experience for your people.
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The good news is that there are resources that can help you structure and plan for your employee onboarding process. You don't have to start from scratch.
If you're keen to learn more about the best practices in onboarding a new hire from Day 1 to Day 365, we have put together a comprehensive Guide to Employee Onboarding here.
💡 Get practical step-by-step recommendations for effective employee onboarding
We have put together a comprehensive list of best practices so your new hires can feel engaged even before they join. Including the full checklist of to-dos, welcome email templates, and inspirations from 20+ companies.
About the author
CT Leong is the founder of EngageRocket. Before becoming an entrepreneur, he was a Regional Director of Gallup - one of the world's top HR advisories. He graduated with a degree in Economics at the University of Cambridge, and has an MA in Political Science from Columbia University.