The Perfect Onboarding Process for Employees

What is an Onboarding Process and what do I need it for?

Employee onboarding is the initial onboarding process for new employees and one of the most important, if not the most important, processes in companies. This process usually starts when the employee is hired and often takes several months, during which the new employee is gradually introduced to their new role and corporate culture.

Why good digital onboarding is so important:

Onboarding - The 3 most important phases:

Phase 1: Preboarding

Preboarding is a process that takes place before the actual onboarding, i.e. before a new employee starts working. These are measures aimed at strengthening the new employee's loyalty to the company even before they have their first day at work.

Examples of preboarding activities

1. Provide information: You can provide new employees with videos or online courses that can give them an insight into the company and their specific role before they start.
2. Clarify formalities: Is the contract regulated? Have access rights been clarified? Does the new employee know of the proper work attire? This should be done at least one to two weeks before work starts.
3. Prepare the workplace: Does the access to the office work for the employee? Is there a PC and a company telephone for the employee? Does the new employee have a job? Have the login details already been generated? Do you need additional licenses for any apps?‍
4. Set up employee training: Does the new colleague need additional training in a specific area, for example how to use selected programs or devices? Ideally, these should be created and prepared before the first working day.

Preboarding is a way to welcome the new employee, promote their motivation and commitment, and make the transition into the company easier. It helps to increase employee productivity from the first day of work and to strengthen their loyalty to the company.

Phase 2: Onboarding new employees

First day of work onboarding:

The first day of work is crucial as it gives a strong first impression of the new work environment. A well-planned program for the first day can help new employees feel welcomed and appreciated and get on with the company quickly.

Here are some suggestions for a good first day of work:

1. Greeting: Start the day with a warm welcome. This can come from the boss, the HR team or the managing director. Show appreciation and be happy that the new colleague is now part of the team.
2. Office tour: Show the new employee the office and the most important places, such as the kitchen, restrooms, and conference rooms.
3. Set up a workplace: Make sure that the new employee's workplace is fully equipped, including a computer, telephone, and all necessary work equipment.
4. Presentation of the team: Introduce the new employee to the rest of the team and give them the opportunity to make friends with everyone, build relationships.
5. Organisational: Explain the basics to him, such as working hours, break regulations, IT systems, security protocols, and show him who to contact if you have any questions.
6. Work tasks: Give him an overview of the tasks and responsibilities and maybe you can give him a small project for the first day that he can successfully complete.
7. Mentor/buddy system: If your company has a mentor or buddy system, introduce him to his mentor/buddy, who can help with questions and concerns.
8. Lunch invitation: Invite the new employee over for lunch, maybe with the whole team or a manager, to make them feel welcome.

Remember that the first day can often be overwhelming. Therefore, try to find a balance between providing necessary information and creating a relaxed, inviting atmosphere.

Phase 3: Postboarding (continuous training)

Postboarding is the post-onboarding phase that ensures that the employee is fully integrated with their team and role within the company and has the necessary resources and knowledge to be successful.

This process can also be seen as ongoing employee development.

Postboarding can include various aspects:

1. Continuous learning and development: This can be done through training, workshops or individual coaching sessions to continuously expand and update the employee's skills and knowledge.
2. Feedback and performance reviews: Regular check-ins and formal assessments help monitor employee performance and identify areas for improvement.
3. Career planning: Postboarding can also include career development support by showing opportunities for progress or role changes within the company.
4. Retention and commitment: Postboarding strategies can also aim to encourage employee engagement and retention, for example by recognizing and rewarding achievements, team building activities, or opportunities to participate in decision-making processes.

In this phase, a digital training platform such as LearningSuite is ideal, as course content can be constantly expanded and adapted.

How do you set up the perfect employee onboarding?

After the first day of work, it is now time to get the employee in top form as quickly as possible. It's important that the new employee does not require too much valuable time when it comes to questions directed towards managers, as this would reduce the team's efficiency during the onboarding process.

In order to reduce the issue of constant demand from new employees to zero, larger companies have already established themselves for some time now to rely on digital training content.

Benefits of digital employee onboarding:

In conclusion, an effective onboarding process for new employees is crucial to promote employee integration, productivity, and retention.

From preparation before the first day of work to a warm welcome on the first day of work to continuous training and development in postboarding, every step plays an important role.

The introduction of digital training content has proven to be an extremely efficient way to optimize the onboarding process. It enables companies to provide consistent training experiences, ensure scalability, and improve efficiency.

Remember that a well-designed onboarding process not only benefits new employees, but also strengthens the company by promoting employee retention and corporate culture.

I hope you enjoyed my blogpost and that you found it to be helpful :)