6 Tips for a Smooth Onboarding Process

According to the Brandon Hall Group, companies that nail their onboarding process enjoy greater retention and productivity — 82% and 70% respectively. This makes sense, considering that onboarding is your employees’ first impression of your company.

A smooth, positive onboarding process can set the tone for a long and productive working relationship. On the other hand, if your onboarding process is disorganized or confusing, new employees may quickly become disgruntled and disillusioned. This can lead to high turnover rates and decreased productivity.

So, how can you create a smooth onboarding process that sets your employees up for success? It’s not as simple as giving out free lanyards and water bottles on the first day. There are a few key elements you need to consider. In this article, we’ll outline six useful tips for designing a smooth onboarding process.

What is the onboarding process?

When companies want to hire new employees, they take all of the usual steps — conducting interviews, reading resumes, checking references, and so on. But after the new employee is hired, the work has only just begun.

The onboarding process is a series of steps that a company takes to get a new employee up to speed and productive as quickly as possible. This may include paperwork, orientation, training, and socialization activities.

Onboarding is important because it can set the tone for a long and productive working relationship.

The onboarding process doesn’t end when the new employee starts working. There are usually follow-up steps that continue to help the employee adapt to the company’s culture and get up to speed on their new job.

The onboarding process can be short or long, depending on the company and the position. It’s usually shorter for lower-level positions and longer for more senior positions.

a team working together to make the onboarding process smooth

Why is a smooth onboarding process important?

While most companies take new employees on board, they don’t all have an official ‘onboarding program’ — an organized set of steps that take the new employee from application to fully productive member of the team.

This is a mistake, because an effective onboarding process can do the following:

Help employees feel welcome and comfortable in their new environment
Help them quickly learn about the company’s culture, values, and goals
Introduce them to their new colleagues
Help them understand their job responsibilities
Help them get up to speed on the company’s technology systems
Get them started on Performance Management processes

Onboarding is especially important for new employees, but it’s also valuable for existing employees who are promoted to a new role or transferred to a new team.

Think of it this way: if you were starting a new job, what would you want your first day to look like? How important is it for you to feel accepted and supported from the get-go? How crucial are those first few moments to your overall opinion of the company?

The truth is that first impressions last a long time — and it’s in every company’s best interests to make that impression count.

What are the key elements of an effective onboarding process?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, because the onboarding process needs to be tailored to the company and the position. However, there are a few key elements that are essential for any successful onboarding program.

Communication

The onboarding process should be communicated to the new employee well in advance of their start date. This gives them time to prepare and ask any questions they may have.

Throughout the onboarding process, the new employee should be kept up to date on their progress. This helps them feel in control and motivated to complete the process.

Orientation

Orientation is an important part of the onboarding process, and it should include a tour of the company’s facilities, an introduction to the company’s culture and values, and an overview of the employee’s job responsibilities.

Training

Employees need to be trained on the company’s technology systems, processes, and procedures. This training should be tailored to the employee’s role within the company.

Socialization

New employees need to be socialized into the company’s culture, which may include activities such as team-building exercises, lunch-and-learns, and after-work drinks.

Documentation

The onboarding process should be documented so that it can be reviewed and updated as needed. This documentation should be made available to the employee and their manager.

Follow-up

Tips for a smooth onboarding process

Now that you know the key elements of an effective onboarding process, let’s take a look at some tips for designing a smooth onboarding experience.

1. Make sure the process is tailored to the company and the position

Something that many companies get wrong is making their onboarding process exactly the same across the board. Every employee gets the same welcome, the same run-down of their job responsibilities, and the same introduction to the company’s culture.

This is a mistake, because an effective onboarding process needs to be tailored to the company and the position. The new employee’s role within the company should be taken into account when designing the onboarding program.

For instance, if the new employee is a developer, they will need different training than someone who works in marketing. And someone working in customer service will need a different orientation than someone in sales.

2. Give the new employee plenty of time to prepare

The onboarding process should be communicated to the new employee well in advance of their start date. Don’t let them come in with cold feet — no one wants to feel overwhelmed on their first day.

This also gives the new employee time to ask any questions they may have about the process. It’s important to answer all of their questions so that they feel confident and prepared for their start date.

employees talking to each other by a window

Even if they don’t ask many questions, make sure the following communication channels are open:

The employee’s manager should be available to answer any questions they may have.
There should be a designated contact person for the onboarding process who can answer any questions and help with any problems.
The company’s website should have information about the onboarding process, including a timeline and a list of the documents and training that will be required.

3. Orient the new employee to the company’s culture

In any business, the company culture is extremely pivotal. Your culture is what shapes your employees’ attitudes and behavior. It’s what makes your company unique and sets it apart from the competition.

An effective onboarding process introduces the new employee to the company culture. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as through activities like team-building exercises, lunch-and-learns, and after-work drinks.

Make sure that the new employee understands your company culture and knows how to act in accordance with it. They should also know what is and isn’t acceptable behavior in the workplace.

4. Train the new employee on the company’s technology systems, processes, and procedures

Assuming your new hire is familiar with the tools necessary to do their job, your company may still need to orient them to specific systems and software used in the workplace.

For instance: do you have a keycode access system? Do you use a certain software to track employee hours?

The new employee should also be familiar with the company’s processes and procedures. This includes things like how to submit a leave request or how to order office supplies.

5. Don’t limit onboarding to just one day

Although onboarding is designed to supplement the hiring process, it should not be a one-day affair. The onboarding process should continue long after the new employee’s start date.

This may include follow-up steps such as meeting with their manager on a regular basis, attending additional training sessions, or participating in social activities with their co-workers.

The goal is to help the new employee adapt to the company’s culture and get up to speed on their new job responsibilities.

6. Treat the onboarding process like a retention effort

At the end of the day, employee onboarding isn’t just about making the new hire comfortable — although that’s part of it. What you need to keep in mind is that the onboarding process directly impacts your chance of retention.

A good onboarding process can set the tone for a long and successful career at your company. If your employees feel welcomed and supported from the get-go, they’re more likely to stay with you for the long haul.

On the other hand, if the onboarding process is rushed, disorganized, and overwhelming, your employees’ first impression of your company will be negative. This could lead to them looking for a new job elsewhere.

Final thoughts

These are just a few tips for designing a smooth onboarding process. Keep in mind that the key elements of an effective onboarding program vary from company to company and position to position.

The most important thing is that you tailor the onboarding process to your specific needs, and make sure that the new employee feels comfortable and supported throughout the entire process.

Remember — great onboarding can lead to great retention!