A great new hire onboarding process should be designed to help new employees feel welcome, understand their role and responsibilities, and integrate into the company culture. It’s incredibly important touch point in the employee lifecycle too. A 2007 study from the Wynhurst Group found that newly hired employees are 58% more likely to still be at the company three years later if they had completed a structured onboarding process.
The lack of a good onboarding process can lead to a high turnover rate of employees. SHRM has reported that the cost of replacing an employee can be as high as 50-60% of their annual salary, with overall costs ranging from 90-200% of annual salary, considering lost productivity, training, and recruitment expenses.
With that in mind, here are some key elements of a successful onboarding process to consider before you build out your Humaans workflows:
Pre-boarding: This stage begins before the employee's first day and sets the tone for their experience. It can include:
Sending a welcome email with information about the company, team, and their role.
Collect employee information & verification documents [E.g. Right to work documents, Visa, passport] . You can store these as employee documents or as identity documents, depending on their use.
Providing access to relevant documents and resources, such as the employee handbook, company policies, and team guidelines.
Scheduling a meeting with their manager to discuss their role and expectations.
Equipment - Do they get to choose their equipment? If so you may want to collect this via a form.
Remote employees may need their equipment shipped ahead of time, make sure the person responsible has their address.
Trigger a first day preparation email - what time to turn up, directions to office, etc. If employees are remote, let them know how to login and who their first call is with.
First Day: This day is crucial for making a positive first impression. It should include:
A warm welcome from their manager and team members.
A tour of the office and introduction to key colleagues.
A review of their role, responsibilities, and performance expectations.
A clear explanation of the company's culture and values.
A chance to ask questions and get to know their new team.
Introduce them to their buddy - a buddy programme is a brilliant way to facilitate faster integration, immerse in company culture & streamline training.
First Week: This week is about getting settled in and starting to learn the ropes. It should include:
A comprehensive orientation program covering company history, policies, benefits, and technology.
Introductions to key stakeholders and departments.
Opportunities to shadow experienced colleagues and learn from their expertise.
Regular check-ins with their manager to provide support and answer questions.
Any training the employee is required to complete upon joining the company (e.g. IT security training)
30-60-90 day plan: This is about building confidence and becoming more independent. It should include:
Ongoing training and development opportunities. Have they accessed any company training videos yet? Do they have a learning path to access?
Regular performance feedback and coaching from their manager.
Opportunities to participate in team projects and contribute to the company's success. Send them information about any social or ERG committees they may want to join.
By following these steps, you can create a new hire onboarding process that is both effective and engaging. This will help new employees feel valued, confident, and ready to contribute to the company's success. Once you’ve mapped out your process check out these guides on how to build your workflows in Humaans.