A survey conducted by Glassdoor puts the average cost of hiring a new employee at R75,000. One way to ensure hiring managers get a return is by implementing a strong onboarding programme that’s more than a warm welcome, a tour of the office, and a brief introduction to colleagues. Onboarding is the foundation that sets new employees up for success. A well-considered onboarding plan and implementation can ensure new employees feel good about the company even before they start and get out of the starting gates from day one.
“Our client’s data shows that effective onboarding not only improves employee retention but also significantly enhances productivity early in a new hire’s tenure,” said Michael Gullan, CEO of G&G Advocacy, an e-learning consultancy that assists organisations with taking their onboarding and training online. Gullan shared important onboarding tips to get employees off to a successful start.
Onboarding plan
Onboarding is a key part of any organisation’s e-learning programme. Onboarding courses can and should be personalised and tailored to different employee profiles and should be ready for new hires on their first day.
Online onboarding can reduce the number of documents and tasks for new employees, streamline and automate the process for managers, and turn boring necessities into engaging experiences. Gullan added that online onboarding is interactive, is faster and easier to complete than face-to-face training, and offers employees (in-office and remote) a consistent, scalable training experience.
Essential onboarding training courses include
- Company culture and values
- Mission and vision
- Processes and important policies
- Meet the team
- Code of conduct
- Software and cyber security
- Wellbeing in the workplace.
“Armed with core company information via a strong onboarding programme, new employees are motivated to assist the organisation in meeting its goals from day one,” said Gullan.
Pre-boarding
HR, team leaders, and managers should be prepared for the new team member to ensure they have everything they need by their start date. In addition to an active profile on the e-learning platform, pre-boarding items should include
- Workspace preparation
- Parking
- Welcome gift
- Office supplies
- Tech and tools
- Introduction to company systems and tools
- Handover documentation, company policies, and other important documentation
- Defined responsibilities and duties
- Onboarding plan
- Learning goals and plan.
“All the preparation before the employee joins will ensure they understand your expectations and are clear about their roles and learning and development KPIs. Such clarity reduces stress for the new employee, lays the foundation for success, and ignites engagement right from the start,” said Gullan.
Orientation
A warm welcome and introduction to coworkers and colleagues makes new employees feel appreciated and part of the team. This could include
- An office tour
- Introduction to various departments
- A quick public introduction
- Short refreshment.
Ongoing training and development
Once the employee has settled in, they should be given clear learning and development goals and plans to quickly acquire the skills, processes, and information they need to perform in their roles. An ongoing L&D programme can be a blend of in-person and e-learning and could include
- Job-specific training and shadowing
- Practical training customised to the employees’ specific roles.
- Feedback and check-ins.
- Mentoring (which can be done at scale via e-learning).
“The more training and development available online, the better employees become engaged with their training and take personal responsibility for their ongoing development,” added Gullan.
With a robust onboarding programme, new employees will identify with the organisation’s values and be clear about what’s expected of them. This will result in confident, engaged, and productive new hires who make a positive impact early on. Moreover, employees who feel valued and have a sense of belonging are more likely to stay with the company for the long term.
