5 Essential Elements of Effective Onboarding
Written by Olivia Lim, HR Advisor at Melbourne HR
A business making the decision to recruit is an extremely exciting period. The excitement builds as applicants flow in through job boards, resumes are shortlisted, and interviews are held, and seems to pique once the best candidate is offered the position.
From there, it appears the onboarding process is triggered and the usual letter of offer, contract, and onboarding documents are prepared for the new hire. This does not always have to be mundane and tedious!
This article discusses 5 essential elements of effective employee onboarding that benefits the new starter and the business:
1. Official employee onboarding process
Onboarding new employees, like any other process within a business, follows a set of chronological steps which aims towards a desired outcome which, in this instance, is the successful integration of an employee. As such, one element of effective employee onboarding is an official process outlining the required steps. This ensures there is standardised system that all relevant internal stakeholders of the business are aware of. This process should include the step number, step instructions, and the individual/team responsible for that step. An example is outlined below:
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2. Standardised onboarding pack
To further streamline the onboarding process and ensure an effectively onboarding employee, businesses should have a standardised onboarding pack.
This is a set of documents that is sent out to all employees following the signing and return of their contract. A sample onboarding pack could include an employee details form, TFN declaration, superannuation form, Fair Work information statement, and employee handbook. Depending on current onboarding processes, these documents could be sent out via email, DocuSign, or provided in person.
Regardless, having a standardised onboarding pack that is provided to all employees at or prior to commencement ensures new starters are provided with consistent information. Moreover, it provides the business with the ability to identify any trends or points of contention within the onboarding pack that allows for continuous improvement. For example, if a common theme is that new starters do not provide a letter from their superannuation fund stating their compliance, then this can be flagged in future onboarding packs.
3. Formal induction
How often do employees start at an organisation and their first day is just information overload?
Whilst necessary, it is important and more effective to ensure the employee is aware of how their first day will operate. A formal induction may include meetings with direct manager(s), payroll, IT, and HR to understand how each function is incorporated into the new starter’s role. It is important to ensure the new starters is provided with some down time to absorb the information they are receiving on their first day. An example of an induction schedule (that could be included in the onboarding pack) is below.
4. Company-wide introduction
As part of formally inducting the new starter into the business, it is equally important to provide light-hearted introductions to the team. As the new starter may not be introduced to everyone on their first day, a similar sentiment can be achieved via an employee catch-all email introduction. With the permission of the new starter, HR or the direct manager can send out a brief email with responses from the new starter about their professional background, what they enjoy doing in their leisure time, and a fun fact about themselves! This ensures a face can be put to a name around the office and acts as an icebreaker for existing employees to approach the new starter.
5. Post commencement check in
The onboarding doesn’t stop there! The information flowing to newly onboarded employees as they continue to expand their knowledge, skills, and understanding of the organisation will continue well after their first day. As such, it is important to check in on these individuals to gauge their state of mind since joining the business and offer support if required. A formal catchup over the phone or in person usually occurs 2 weeks and 1 month post commencement. An additional benefit of these catchups is the rapport built between the employee and the direct manager/HR/hiring manager. Any queries or concerns that the employee may have in the future, they would feel comfortable approaching the individual who onboarded them.
There you have it – 5 essential elements of effective employee onboarding. The list above follows the natural sequence of employee onboarding and pinpoints the most important consideration. These include having an official process in place, a standardised onboarding pack, formal induction, informal introduction, and post commencement check ins. Keeping these key elements in consideration when onboarding your next employee may assist in forming the basis of the new starter’s first impressions of the organisation. The aim of these elements is to demonstrate an organised, consistent, and compassionate culture to the new starter and existing employees. In turn, greater talent will be attracted and retained.
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Olivia Lim is a HR Advisor at Melbourne HR.
Edited by Toby Pronstroller, Digital Marketing Coordinator at Melbourne HR.