Employee onboarding is not easy. It is a long process with multiple heads, including requisition, shortlisting, scheduling, documentation, selection, induction, etc. So, the need to streamline the process with the help of HR onboarding software is high.
While most organizations know that there is a complete software solution to ease their employee onboarding process, the adoption rate is still on the lower side, especially among startups and medium-sized establishments. So instead, most of these organizations go for the manual approach to onboarding that includes emails, Excel sheets, and physical documentation and paperwork.
This article will give a few brilliant ideas for creating a stunning employee onboarding system.
· Integrate an HR Onboarding Software
Employee onboarding software is the most effective way to streamline recruitment. Most software solutions have multiple modules to simplify the various onboarding steps.
An onboarding software combines the various facets of recruitment, including applicant tracking, requisition management, and candidate management software. Also, it automates the entire process, eliminating the mundane manual processes. Therefore, this can be the most effective way for your organization to implement an excellent onboarding experience.
· Make the First Day Memorable
Giving your new hire a break from their work is good, as usual. Get around the office to show them every nook and corner of the office. Give them a chance to introduce themselves to everyone and even plan something exciting.
It is good to avoid boring them to death with lengthy presentations. On the other hand, don’t throw them into deep work aspects without any guidance. It is good to just give them ample information to feel welcome.
You should go out of your way to create a solid first impression of your new joiners. Show them that you care about their decision to come and work for your organization, and they will pay you back with their dedication.
An effective way to do this is to have an out-of-the-ordinary event and involve everyone in it. For example, take them somewhere for a special lunch, or go do a group activity – something everyone will get some level of excitement out of. This extra step will make your new joiners feel more valued on their first day.
· Create a Cool Impression for Your New Hire
Everyone loves a welcome gift, whether a restaurant voucher or cool gear. You can make it weird with an uncanny attachment to the organization’s value or even something of tremendous cultural significance. This will make your new hire feel like part of the team from the first day onward.
Giving gifts to your new hires can be an excellent way to acclimatize the new hire to your office culture. Take Facebook and Google as examples. In addition, the Senior management might value healthy lifestyles or the time spent with family. New hires can be given gifts relating to either of such lifestyles.
Now, it will be up to your team to decide what you give to the new employees. For example, everyone at work prefers eating, and a voucher for a nearby cafe that makes great coffee is better than gifting a pen.
· Give the New Joiners a Chance to Unwind
Several tech companies give new hires a pre-start holiday once they accept a job. New hires are allocated a budget or time to go on a vacation, relax and then return to work refreshed and prepared. But, of course, you would understand that this is beyond the bounds of workforce management or candidate management software.
You may not have the resources or budget of a multinational IT company. However, you can give new joiners a relaxed start. For example, have a new joiner start in the middle of the week instead of on a Monday.
New hires start after 9 am or even at 10 or 11 am. This will ensure that they are not at all overwhelmed. Moreover, this removes the morning commute for their first day and gives existing employees a chance to finish their tasks before meeting the new joiners.
The first day for the new hires should be about getting to know their new workplace and colleagues. Then, take them somewhere lovely for lunch or even brunch nearby. Finally, you should ease your new hire into their new position so that they build up a good feeling about changing jobs.
· Focus on the essentials of Structured Onboarding
We know that tedious paperwork comes with onboarding new joiners. Therefore, it is always recommended to use a structured onboarding system that manages hiring managers and new joiner tasks during the induction period. It is easiest to do this with HR onboarding software. However, you can also use an employee onboarding checklist in the meantime.
Create a list of tasks for existing employees and new joiners in your system. Of course, what goes into the task list will be up to you, as requirements for when a fresh hire starts varies from company to company. However, having a comprehensive task list makes onboarding fluid and gives you more time to focus on making onboarding a fun experience.
· Offer Incentives for New Joiners to Leave
This may sound crazy, but the tactic made headlines for Zappos globally. Zappos offered its new joiners $4000 to leave two months after joining their new position.
The incentive payout is because the company wants only the employees who enjoy being at work. Paying the employees to leave helps filter out bad hires who only want to be there for the money. Creating a process to actively filter out employees who are not engaged in their new roles is essential.
Making your workplace the best is the most effective way to prevent new employees from taking up your exit offer. Give the employees a reason to work for you, and they will pass on the request to leave every time. In addition, they are going to remember why they decided to stay.
· Connect Your New Joiners with the Team before Day 1
An important question that new joiners have when they start ‘Who will I work with?’
Get rid of the uncertainty and stressful concerns by connecting your new joiners to their new colleagues before starting. Of course, you can do this with a physical meet-and-greet. Still, it’s easier to do this digitally by connecting on Facebook or LinkedIn. The platform may be your main communication channel for in-house interactions. At times, even a simple text message from a few colleagues can be enough to make your new joiners feel welcome.
· Put It All Together
You still need to be able to follow the paperwork for onboarding new hires properly. The maddest swag or the most fun first day can be undone by an unsigned form that stops an employee from getting paid. Follow our steps to create employee contract templates to ensure your paperwork is in order. Sorting your paperwork early gives you more time to enjoy cocktails with your new hire at lunch.
The Ending Note
When onboarding the best talent, you only get one chance to create an impression on your new hires. So, getting it right at the first instance is highly recommended. Integrating employee onboarding software can be your biggest asset in creating a stunning employer reputation.
However, you need to be certain about the features you need for your organization. For example, a good employee onboarding system would include everything from the applicant tracking to candidate management software. So, be sure of your requirements and take a trial if necessary.
