Onboarding a new employee can be overwhelming and getting it right is incredibly important. So do you have a process in place to make sure you have dotted all of the i’s and crossed all of the t’s?
Onboarding Process
Although the process may vary for different companies, some things stay the same across all industries. In this article, we will share ten tips for making sure you cover all of your bases and give your employee the best chance of succeeding.
10 Tips For Onboarding An Employee
1. Paperwork
Make sure you have all the paperwork in order before your new employee arrives. This includes their offer letter, contract, and any necessary onboarding documents.
Make sure to let your employee know ahead of time to bring a voided check and to be prepared to provide information necessary for payroll and taxes.
One of the most often overlooked parts of the onboarding process is setting aside enough time for the employee to complete the forms. In addition, keep in mind that they don’t fill out these forms on a regular basis so having someone there to walk them through this process will make it easier for them and help them feel less stress.
2. Account Access
Get your new employee set up with the necessary accounts and access on their first day. This includes email, intranet, and any other company systems they will need to use.
Unfortunately, too many businesses don’t dedicate enough time to get this process in place. This can put the company at risk of cyber attack later. A good process gives your new employees access to only the accounts they absolutely need.
3. Train On Cyber Hygiene
This is also a good time to train your employees on good cyber hygiene. Ongoing training will be needed but it’s important to make sure right from the start that your employees know you take cyber hygiene seriously.
4. Tour & Introductions
Give your new employee a tour of the office and introduce them to their team members. This will help them feel welcomed and comfortable in their new environment.
When introducing them to their teammates, be sure to let the teammates share a little bit about themselves. This should include their role in the company but also something personal that will help the employee remember each member.
For example, meet Joe. Joe is in charge of shipping and on the weekends, he is in a grunge band that plays in local bars and restaurants.
5. Company Culture & Values
It’s important for your employees to understand the company culture and values so they understand what is important to the organization. Before you bring on a new employee, it may be a good idea to speak to current employees and ask them about company culture and values. You may find they need a refresher as well. Including them in the onboarding process could be a good way to kill two birds with one stone.
6. Set Expectations
Go over the expectations for the role with your new employee so they know what is expected of them. This one is sometimes hard for a small business. As they grow, the expectations grow. If you haven’t created a list of expectations, it may be a good time to stop and do just that.
Remember that it’s important that expectations for one employee apply to all employees.
7. Training
Provide training on the company systems and processes so your new employee can be successful in their role. This is a good time to be sure your current staff understands the importance of processes.
There is nothing quite as bad as a current employee training a new employee and saying, “This is how they want us to do it, but this is how we really do it.” Ouch. That’s not the culture you want to show.
8. The Process
Onboarding is a process. It’s not a one-day event. Be sure to set up a meeting schedule with your new employee for yourself and their direct reports so they can stay on track and meet their deadlines. Setting these up in advance will help them see that you take your processes seriously and that you value their time.
9. Frequent Check-ins
Check in with your new employee regularly to see how they are doing and offer feedback. The most successful employees are the ones who receive the most support. Make sure frequent check-ins are a part of your process.
We suggest creating appointments on your calendar at regular intervals so you are sure to make these visits.
10. Review Your Process
The final step in onboarding a new employee is to have a process in place to review this current process. What went well? What went poorly? What improvements can you make? Is there something that you could do to make the process more fun, exciting, or structured? What steps of the process could be automated?
Reviewing your process now will help you with onboarding future employees quickly and efficiently.
