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In this article we plan to investigate the what and the why of
onboarding. We will also look at how critical this process is and the changes
this process is undergoing in order to support the business strategy.
Companies expend a massive amount of time and effort in designing jobs to support the business, filtering candidates that match those requirements and then on evaluating them in order to ensure that the best talent is taken into the company to execute business strategy. Therefore, it is essential that the talent thus recruited is integrated into the company in a successful manner.
Onboarding thus is the processes in which new hires are integrated into the organization. It includes activities that allow new employees to complete an initial new-hire orientation process, as well as learn about the organization and its structure, culture, vision, mission and values. (Shrm, 2023)
The advent of the COVID-19 crisis fast tracked the changes to how companies functioned with most of them shifting to remote or hybrid working practices. The highest impact from this change has been to the onboarding and training functions of Human Resources.
(Eliyahu, 2022) asks the question “what do you do when all your previous onboarding practices relied on a physical office and now there’s no office?” He suggests that companies make use of AI-driven knowledge management systems and suggest that you look to the past to plan the future.
What does this mean?
It simply means that you have to look back to find the objectives that organizations wanted to achieved through functions like onboarding and training and, to find alternate ways of achieving these objectives.
One of the biggest changes as far as onboarding is concerned has been that the new hire can no longer enjoy a friendly first meeting and the quick tour of the office to meet the team. New employees are also no longer able to be put on a pre-defined, time-based plan that provides them with all the necessary knowledge to perform their roles. Further there are a lesser number of personal video meetings and most do not include fellow workers. This can leave them feeling lonely, isolated and disconnected. The following action steps have been recommended to tackles these issues.
Tech and Knowledge Management in new employee Onboarding and
Training
This simply suggest that companies use AI-driven knowledge
management system such as;
- Usage of project management tools, learning management systems and file-sharing tools are all good for knowledge management because nearly every employee has a basic knowledge of how to search and access documents within them.
Creating a sense of belonging during a remote Onboarding Process
This refers to fostering the very human feelings of belonging,
connection and community during an AI-powered onboarding process. Some of the
action steps suggested are;
- Assigning a mentor on the first day and planning on regular one-to-one meeting to gauge progress and share experiences.
- Setting up one-on-one conversations with people from different departments over the first two weeks. This will enable the new-comers to get a broad sense of culture and network with related stakeholders related to their jobs.
- Adding a personal touch - sending a welcome package to the new employee
- Integrating virtual team-building opportunities such as game nights, cooking classes and book clubs. These can help in relaxing and building connections with peers.
It is said that a successful onboarding strategy will reduce
attrition and increase employee engagement, both of which affect your customers’
satisfaction levels as well as company profitability. ambrion.com lists three
onboarding best practices as summarized below.
Incorporate tasks they expressed interest in during the interview
process. Additionally, share the company’s history and introduce them to the
team to help them familiarize.
2.
Fold people into the
company culture
Set the stage for a productive and successful team dynamic by
introducing the new employee to everyone on the team. Make sure your team understands
their role in welcoming the new hire and encourage coffee chats where team
members can get to know each other. This will help in building strong
relationships and fostering a culture of communication and inclusion.
3.
Be accessible
As a manager, being accessible and present for your new hire will
help them feel supported and connected, even in a remote environment.
-
Schedule more one-to-one
meetings at the beginning.
-
Be available through work chat,
email to check in, answer questions and connect.
In summary, the changes in the macro environment have effected how business operate and this has had a significant impact on the onboarding and training functions of Human Resources. Given the importance onboarding plays in a company's successful implementation of strategy, it is advised that we look at innovative ways to meet the original objectives of these functions so that new employees blend into the company culture, feel as part of the team and remain engaged so that it will ultimately contribute through boosting customer satisfaction and profitability for the business.
References:
Shrm (2023) Understanding employee onboarding, SHRM. SHRM. Available
at:
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/understanding-employee-onboarding.aspx
(Accessed: April 8, 2023).
Eliyahu, S. (2022) Council post: Look to the past to plan the
future, Forbes. Forbes Magazine. Available at:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/11/19/look-to-the-past-to-plan-the-future/?sh=45b124fc7e20
(Accessed: April 9, 2023).
10 steps to onboard new employees in 2023 (2023) AMBRION. Available
at: https://ambrion.com/10-steps-to-onboard-new-employees-in-2023/ (Accessed:
April 9, 2023).
I appreciate your topic Rangana , Depending on your company's size and needs, a successful onboarding program will likely include orientation, job-specific training, introductions, culture acclimation and follow-ups. And it all starts the second a new hire commits to the job.
ReplyDeletePhase 1: Preboarding. Once you've accepted your offer letter and you're starting off day one at a new job, there's a lot to learn. ...
Phase 2: Onboarding and welcoming new employees. ...
Phase 3: Training. ...
Phase 4: Transition to the new role.
Onboarding" refers to the processes in which new hires are integrated into the organization. It includes activities that allow new employees to complete an initial new-hire orientation process, as well as learn about the organization and its structure, culture, vision, mission and values.
Hi Rangana, Can you explain your view on how can companies personalize the onboarding experience for new employees by incorporating tasks they expressed interest in during the interview process, sharing the company's history, and introducing them to the team in order to facilitate a smooth integration into the company culture?
ReplyDeleteHi Rangana, I totally agree with you on this topic. As per research conducted by the Aberdeen Group, businesses that implement a well-organized onboarding program witness a 50% increase in productivity among their new hires (Aberdeen Group, 2014). Therefore, it is essential to consider implementing a structured onboarding process that can be advantageous to both new and current staff members.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting topic Rangana. In the context of COVID-19 and remote or hybrid working arrangements, your article highlights the value of employee onboarding in integrating new workers into the company. Practices such as having a personalised onboarding process and including new recruits in business culture while remaining approachable would help the cause. In view of the evolving workplace environment, the article highlights the necessity for creative solutions that ensure employee engagement, client satisfaction, and business success. a good read overall!
ReplyDelete