Human Resources Glossary / Onboarding Process

Onboarding Process

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What is onboarding?

Onboarding is the key to integrating a new hire into the workforce. Designed to furnish the employee with the knowledge, skills, and rules of conduct they need to thrive in their new role, the onboarding process starts well before the new hire’s first day and can last weeks or even months into their tenure at the company.

It comprises everything from setting up a dedicated user account, arranging access credentials, and welcoming the employee on their first day to introducing the company culture, scheduling check-ins, and providing them with targeted training to help them excel in their job.

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Why is onboarding important?

With the war for talent making it more difficult than ever to attract and retain skilled employees, onboarding is a critical tool for building employee satisfaction from day one. When implemented correctly, onboarding integrates a new hire seamlessly into the company structure by demonstrating a clear interest in the employee’s well-being, putting every essential resource at their disposal, and fueling excitement for their new role.

An employee is more likely to stay at a company if they:

  • Feel taken care of

 

  • Undergo the proper training for their role

 

  • Receive answers to their questions

 

  • Consider themselves to be part of the team

 

  • Have periodic check-ins with their manager or team leader

A company can manage these expectations during the onboarding process by:

  • Reaching out to the new hire well in advance of their first day to provide them with general company information and specific details about their role; this is also the first chance to allay any worries
 
  • Briefing the employee’s team leader in detail about the new hire and what training they need to complete
 
  • Providing ample room for feedback and questions
 
  • Making useful resources available, including FAQs, indexes, platforms, and dedicated contacts

You can also consult the LinkedIn onboarding guide for more information and pointers.

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How to use onboarding

Onboarding can be broken down into four basic steps, extending from the acceptance of a job offer through to the new hire’s first few weeks in the role. As indicated below, some steps are overseen by different corporate onboarding experts.

Step one: Pre-boarding (HR)

It is HR’s task to ensure all administrative formalities are completed prior to the employee’s first day. This includes finalizing contracts, preparing access credentials, sending out corporate information (brochures, welcome pack, etc.), and making the new employee’s colleagues and manager aware of their imminent arrival.

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Step two: Orientation and training (HR, team leader)

The first couple of weeks are spent familiarizing the employee with the workflows, systems, and structures that keep the company’s operations running smoothly. The employee should be informed of their exact responsibilities, deadlines, and project schedules. It’s also important to introduce the employee to their colleagues and ensure they feel welcome and visible throughout their orientation.

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Step three: Integration (Team leader, buddy)

The integration process begins after the employee has completed all necessary administrative tasks and undergone initial training and familiarization. The team leader (or an assigned buddy) is tasked with ensuring the employee feels informed, valued, validated, and comfortable in their new role. The employee’s colleagues should treat them like a committed team member—because they are.

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Step four: Post-boarding (Departmental manager)

By now, the employee should feel as though they are beginning to settle into their role. The departmental or line manager should check in with the employee after several weeks to determine whether they are on the road to full integration and to assess their level of satisfaction. This is also a chance for both sides to provide feedback, ask questions, and offer recommendations.

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Benefits of onboarding and what to do if the process isn’t working

When onboarding is done well, the new employee can hit the ground running from day one and start delivering for the company. This provides a series of interrelated benefits:

  • Stronger employee engagement and a more consistent corporate culture, leading to…
  • More loyalty and satisfaction, resulting in…
  • Decreased employee turnover, which…
  • Boosts the company’s standing internally and externally, making it…
  • Easier to attract new talent, who then complete the onboarding process themselves.

Even if a company’s onboarding process has proven to be successful, it may not work for every new employee. If this is the case, try the following approaches:

✦ Arrange a team-building exercise to further integrate the new employee into the team. Encourage them to open up about themselves and have the other staff members do the same. This will help the team to build stronger relationships with each other.

✦ Assign the new employee a buddy to whom they can turn if they have any questions about their responsibilities, the corporate culture, and/or administrative workflows.

✦ Run through the employee-centric aspects of the onboarding process again with the new hire. This time, ask the employee at each stage if they have understood the information provided and if they have any questions. Have them check in with their team leader at the start or end of the working day, if necessary.

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Onboarding best practices and tips

For the best onboarding experience, it’s a good idea to ensure that the requirements of the job are completely clear to all candidates during the recruitment process. A well-written job requisition sets the standard here, as it encourages only qualified individuals to apply for the position.

Consider automating at least part of the onboarding process to streamline the new hire’s integration into the company. A user-friendly dashboard that provides tips and alerts and signposts the onboarding journey gives the employee a better overview of what is expected of them, which administrative tasks they still need to complete, and which resources (documents, videos, quizzes, etc.) they can consult to familiarize themselves with the corporate culture.


It’s also worth investing in the development of an employee handbook that sets out the brand identity, key workflows, expected conduct, and company hierarchy. This gives the new hire clarity from the outset and serves as a resource they can turn to both during and outside of office hours.


Finally, make sure to welcome the new employee into the fold. A meet-and-greet, team lunch, or end-of-week get-together can lay the foundation for lasting and cherished employee relationships.

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Additional information about onboarding

A final note on onboarding: Employing an applicant tracking system (ATS) or human resources information system (HRIS) allows a company to track every metric related to the onboarding journey. From time to hire and cost per hire to retention rates and employee satisfaction levels, the data collected in an ATS or HRIS can be used to refine the various stages of the recruitment and onboarding process. This will help the company retain its competitive edge in a hiring market that’s more hotly contested than ever.

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