Top onboarding tips you may not have thought of
It’s fair to say that reputable companies are after effective onboarding processes. They understand the importance of not only making a good first impression but also in simplifying and smoothing the entrance for a new employee to help get them up and running as soon as possible. Most people know that key steps include the likes of introductions and IT, but there can be so much more to the picture than meets the eye. Here’s some top tips you probably haven’t thought of…
- On the new employee’s first day, let them start late. Depending on the size of your company, the standard starting time is normally pretty hectic, with people arriving, leaving, chatting and settling into their desks. Plus, managers can be distracted with setting their team up for the day. So instead, start them a bit later, once the action plan is in place, and that way they’ll not only have your full attention, but they also won’t be wandering into reception at a time when it’s filled with activity.
- As a small gesture, give new staff a photo frame or something else small to decorate a desk, cubicle or other area that will be theirs. After all, feeling a sense of ownership and connection with a space is guaranteed to help speed up the sense of connection with the company itself.
- At some point, invite the new staffer’s family in for a tour and to meet some of their new colleagues. Obviously, you won’t go into as much depth or detail, but it’s good for a worker’s family to feel important, will tell them you value families and also make it easy for them to picture them the worker going about their daily job.
- It may sound strange, but sometimes the best thing you can do is give a new staffer a project early on. We’re not talking a big one, as there’ll be a lot of other information to wade through, but something small that taps into their skill set and lets them prove their worth straight away can be an instant mood and motivation builder.
- To set the tone for your dealings, make a point of being honest about the stuff on the job that’s not so great. Sure, you don’t want to turn them off on their first day, but if you can be honest about some of the less appealing aspects, like the fact that on deadline days people are really expected to eat lunch at their desk, you give an immediate impression of transparency and honesty, which will always prove reassuring.
- To showcase the outcome of onboarding, organise a session with other people who were recruited within the last few months. They can tell the new employee about what they learned, what they wished they had learned, how they transitioned into the company and what’s some great advice they could give. Done right this could turn out to be the most informative induction session of all as nothing can really beat information gleaned from personal experience.
- Finally, show them the full picture of what you do. For example, if they’re a salesman for an online store, show them not only what you sell but also how it’s packaged and sent from the warehouse and also, if possible, how and where it’s made. The more knowledge they have about the process from idea to customer, the more they will be able to service clients better.
Happy onboarding!
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