Kelly Main is a Marketing Editor and Writer specializing in digital marketing, online advertising and web design and development. Before joining the team, she was a Content Producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist c.
Kelly Main Staff ReviewerKelly Main is a Marketing Editor and Writer specializing in digital marketing, online advertising and web design and development. Before joining the team, she was a Content Producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist c.
Written By Kelly Main Staff ReviewerKelly Main is a Marketing Editor and Writer specializing in digital marketing, online advertising and web design and development. Before joining the team, she was a Content Producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist c.
Kelly Main Staff ReviewerKelly Main is a Marketing Editor and Writer specializing in digital marketing, online advertising and web design and development. Before joining the team, she was a Content Producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist c.
Staff Reviewer Rob Watts Managing Editor, SMBWith over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
Rob Watts Managing Editor, SMBWith over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
Rob Watts Managing Editor, SMBWith over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
Rob Watts Managing Editor, SMBWith over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
| Managing Editor, SMB
Updated: Apr 17, 2024, 11:55am
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Onboarding employees is an important part of the hiring process. With an effective onboarding strategy in place, you can acclimate new hires into your culture and provide them with the knowledge and resources they need to succeed. It’s essential if you’d like to retain employees, reduce turnover and maximize productivity. By following these onboarding best practices, you can ensure your new hires get the positive start they deserve.
Preboarding is the process of starting an employee’s onboarding experience before their first day. It can get them excited for their new job and keep them engaged until their start date. This is the perfect time for you to send them some company swag, such as a water bottle or notepad with your logo, for example, and encourage them to ask any questions they might have. Also, send them the onboarding schedule via email so they know what to expect on day one.
It’s a good idea to give your new hires a head start on administrative tasks, such as creating a company email address or completing HR paperwork, so that their first day doesn’t revolve around filling out documents. Some examples of paperwork you may want to encourage them to work on before they start include:
If possible, let your new employees complete these forms electronically so they don’t have to deal with the hassle of printing them and filling them out manually.
While welcome packages aren’t required, they can leave a positive first impression and convey that you appreciate your new hires. You can keep them basic with a company mug or mouse pad, for example, or get creative and send out cookies or other sweet treats with your logo. Whatever you do, make sure your welcome packages reflect your unique culture. Send them out via mail as soon as candidates accept their offers.
Successful onboarding is a collaborative effort, meaning it involves a variety of team members, not just hiring managers and the HR department. Be sure that other employees, managers, supervisors and even senior leaders understand the onboarding process and how they’ll fit into it. New hires will feel more comfortable and connected to your company as a whole.
When new hires are paired with a buddy who they regularly meet on a weekly or monthly basis, they’ll have someone to turn to for questions and concerns. Choose buddies who are positive role models and are excited to show new employees the ropes. Ideally, they’d be colleagues rather than direct managers or supervisors so that newbies feel comfortable asking them about the culture and team. Your buddy program can be as formal or as informal as you’d like.
There’s no better way for new hires to understand how your company works than to shadow a variety of employees. If they work in marketing, for example, it might make sense for them to spend a few hours shadowing sales representatives in your call center. By exposing new employees to different departments, they’ll be better equipped to perform their jobs. Shadowing may also make it easier for them to meet all types of team members.
A new employee’s first day should be fun and informative at the same time. You don’t want them to spend eight hours filling out paperwork and sitting through lectures. But you also want to ensure they learn something and are better prepared to start their job. Here are some tips to ensure their first day is a success.
Don’t hesitate to ask current employees what they did or didn’t like about their first day. This information can give you some valuable insight on how to plan first days going forward.
Success varies widely from company to company. That’s why it’s your job to clarify what it means to do well at your organization. While doing so, use concrete examples from past employees and be specific with numbers or data as vague statements will only confuse new hires. By setting expectations right off the bat, your new team members will be more likely to achieve success.
At the end of the day, most employees care about more than just their compensation. They’d like to work at a company with a great culture. A positive culture can keep them engaged, motivated and productive. That’s why it’s important to showcase your company’s culture throughout the onboarding process. Share your organization’s history as well as its mission statement and values. Highlight what makes it unique and why some of your longest employees have been so loyal.
Let’s be honest. Nobody wants to start their first days or weeks overwhelmed at a new job. To keep new hires happy and increase their chances of success, assign tasks with the expectation that it will take three, six and nine months to complete them. If things are going well, slowly but surely increase the level of responsibility that comes with each task. During this time, check in with new hires often to address any issues and make changes to their task list as needed.
Onboarding doesn’t end once your new employees have filled out their paperwork, met the team and completed training. It’s an ongoing process that requires weekly, monthly or quarterly check-ins. These check-ins serve as an opportunity to sit down with them to ensure they’re comfortable and happy. Don’t forget to acknowledge any of their contributions and ask them if they need additional training or support. Regular check-ins can mean the difference between a long-term, productive employee and one who quits early on.
Even though new hires may not interact with senior leaders often, it’s important that they know who they’re working for. Do your best to involve senior team members in the onboarding process as much as possible. They may give a tour of your building, take employees out to lunch, give a brief overview of the company history or even conduct a required training session. New employees will feel good if they know that superiors are making time for them during their first days and weeks on the job.
While a structured, well-planned onboarding strategy is a good idea, it should allow for some flexibility. Let’s say a new employee is unable to visit your office for in-person onboarding at the last minute. In this case, you’ll want to be prepared with a remote option. Also, if you notice new hires need some time to relax after an intense training session, you may want to move the next training to the next day or week.
Your onboarding process is not set in stone. In fact, it’s highly likely that you’ll change it from time to time. Actively seek feedback from your current employees through regular surveys or conversations so you know what you’re doing well and where you can improve. Continue to enhance the way you onboard and don’t be afraid to completely revamp your process as your company evolves over time.
Healthy onboarding practices such as the ones we listed above are vital if you’d like your new hires to be happy and productive from the get-go. They can make their transition to your company as smooth as possible while increasing your retention rates and improving your bottom line.
Forbes Advisor contributor Anna Baluch contributed to this article.
Onboarding best practices can lead to countless benefits for your company. These include higher employee retention, increased productivity and a stronger workplace culture.
If you have remote employees, onboarding them may look a bit different. Encourage them to socialize with other team members through email, chat or video calls. Use screenshots or screen shares for training, allow easy access to important documents and check in frequently. If possible, schedule an in-person meeting early on.
The five Cs of employee onboarding can make new hires feel welcome, valued and comfortable at their new jobs. These include compliance, clarification, confidence, connection and culture. Companies that incorporate them tend to enjoy greater onboarding success than those that do not.
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Staff ReviewerKelly Main is a Marketing Editor and Writer specializing in digital marketing, online advertising and web design and development. Before joining the team, she was a Content Producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist covering small business marketing content. She is a former Google Tech Entrepreneur and she holds an MSc in International Marketing from Edinburgh Napier University. Additionally, she is a Columnist at Inc. Magazine.
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