Imagine the first day in a new job … we’ve all been there; feeling nervous and a desire to make a good impression with everyone you meet. We also remember how that company made US feel on our first day, and this can have a long-lasting impression for the entire employee journey.
Preboarding and onboarding lay the foundation of a successful hire and long-lasting employee/employer relationship. Get this right, and it translates to better employee retention, a stronger company culture and ultimately the ability to make the most of the talent that you have within your organisation.
The importance of preboarding
Preboarding is the period of time between when the employee signs their contract and when they officially have their first day. It’s a crucial time for preparation, clarifying expectations, considering what targets to set them and scheduling in valuable 1-to-1 time with managers and other key personnel within your company.
During the preboarding period, it’s also a time to keep your new employee engaged and informed, giving them a sense of belonging and excitement about starting in their new role. You may want to include personalised video welcome messages from fellow team members, a check-in call from a manager or someone from HR to say how much they are looking forward to them starting and ask whether they have any questions.
All these small touches can help build rapport, ease anxieties, and provide a clearer understanding of their upcoming work environment.
Most people want to know what to expect on their first day, so send your new employee their onboarding plan in advance so that they can be fully prepared for their first few weeks.
Brief the entire team and company on the new hire, their role and responsibilities so that everyone can make them feel welcome on their first day.
Onboarding to set your new hires up for success
The onboarding process for your business may take some time to get right and should be an iterative process for each hire. It’s useful to have an onboarding checklist to tick things off as tasks are completed and to ensure that nothing gets missed.
Setting your new employee up with the right technology
One of the key things to get right is making sure that they are equipped with all the relevant systems and applications on their first day, with a working email address and telephone.
Their workspace should be fully functional to provide a welcoming and productive first day so they can hit the ground running in their new role.
Onboarding paperwork and compliance
The first day is often about getting all the necessary paperwork such as P45, payroll, passport, information relating to company benefits, and signing any company agreements or NDAs.
Many small businesses use HR software to automate and streamline this paperwork process. If you don’t have one in place, ensure that all paperwork and forms are electronically stored for HR to access so that everyone knows what has been completed.
Assign a mentor during the onboard process
Appointing a mentor to support your new employee in their first few weeks will ensure they receive the right personalised attention, make them feel part of a team and provide them that the right information relevant to their role.
Orientation and integration
A structured orientation process will help your new hire become familiar with processes, procedures and values. This can be achieved by encouraging dedicated time with various teams and departments to allow new hires to understand their role in the larger organisational context. Make any work shadowing interactive and engaging so that new employees receive a well-rounded introduction to their roles and responsibilities.
Relaxed social events, either inside or outside of the working day can be a great opportunity for new employees to develop relationships and foster a sense of belonging and community.
First-days can be pretty challenging for new hires, but a little bit of effort and structure will make them feel welcome and they will soon feel part of the team.
1850 are very experienced in creating clear onboarding processes for SMEs, helping to keep your new hires engaged, motivated and quickly feeling that they are part of your mission in their first few weeks. Contact us if you need help with your Onboarding process.
