Isn’t It Time for a Better Approach to Onboarding?

Imagine these two very different scenarios. 

Onboarding Gone Wrong 

When Alex joined a small but growing digital marketing agency, she was excited to jump right into her role as a social media marketing agency. After accepting the offer, she had a few questions related to benefits enrollment and her team’s reporting structure, but the hiring manager told her they’d cover it all when she started. 

When she showed up for her first day, her manager was caught up in a meeting, so Alex was forced to wait in the lobby for 20 minutes. HR had sent a brief welcome message, but it didn’t include a formal onboarding plan, just more of the same partial information she already received. IT wasn’t informed that today was Alex’s first day, so there were more delays in setting her up with her laptop, credentials, and company badge. 

Alex still had a few questions related to her benefits options, but didn’t have a chance to meet with HR before she was shown to her desk and given some internal sites to learn more about the company’s services while her manager rushed off to another meeting. At the end of the day, she hadn’t yet met all of the employees on her team, and she missed her first client meeting when someone forgot to invite her to the call.

 All of this left her frustrated – and wondering if she made the right decision in joining NorthStar Digital.

A Positive First Impression

When Jordan joined a SaaS start-up specializing in workflow automation for mobile applications, he was immediately impressed by the company’s onboarding process. 

It actually started before he did.

One week before his official start date, he received a gift basket from his manager. It contained a detailed welcome packet that included an updated organization chart, his login credentials, and a 30-day plan for his role and responsibilities. 

Jordan also had questions related to his benefits, but NexaFlow’s HR manager answered them all in detail. He was able to e-sign and submit all his forms right then, so he had less to worry about when he officially started his new position. 

On his first day, his manager had booked a meeting with his new coworkers so everyone on the team had a chance to meet him and start collaborating. He was also scheduled for important training sessions on NexaFlow’s platform as well as two upcoming client calls. At the end of the day, Jordan’s manager checked in to see if he had any questions and reinforced how much the entire team was looking forward to working with him. 

Jordan was impressed, confident in his next steps, and excited about the prospect of a career at NexaFlow. His first day really was great – even better than he expected – and he was ready to hit the ground running and make real contributions in his new position.

How Small Businesses Can Deliver Great Onboarding Experiences

Creating highly effective onboarding experiences like Jordan’s doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a thoughtful, structured approach that relies on HR expertise and best practices and even the right technology.

Here are tips any company can follow to make sure their new hires feel welcome, informed, and ready to run through the proverbial wall on day one. 

1. Start Earlier Than You Think

Ideally, the onboarding experience should start as soon as the offer is accepted. Consider the following communications and touchpoints:

• Sending the official offer letter

• Ensuring that they are signed by both the candidate and the hiring manager

• Providing the new employee with a detailed welcome email containing important details about getting started

• Scheduling an I-9 verification call on the new hire’s first day

• Letting them know exactly what to expect on their first day

All of this can minimize stress and anxiety while helping new hires feel much more connected and prepared for their new role. 

2. Use Technology to Your Advantage

Investing in onboarding software can simplify and automate the entire onboarding processes, including key steps such as benefits enrollment, document submission, IT setup, and equipment provisions.

The right onboarding solution and approach can help you:

• Automate paperwork and compliance tasks with e-signature capabilities.

• Develop custom onboarding workflows so everyone knows their role and nothing is overlooked.

• Provide structured onboarding checklists and progress tracking.

• Offer self-service portals where employees can access essential documents and forms, training materials, and company information such as org charts, directories, and policies.

• Enable digital introductions through team directories and organizational charts.

 By using these tools – either on their own or with an HR consultant – small businesses can eliminate common bottlenecks and ensure new hires have everything they need from the start. 

3. Ensure a Warm Welcome and Personal Connection

A great onboarding experience isn’t just about automation and logistics – it’s truly about making new employees feel informed, valued, and part of the team. 

Assigning a mentor or an onboarding buddy is a great way to quickly introduce new hires into the company. Scheduling important introductions, virtual meetings, or informal team lunches can help new employees feel connected and supported from the very beginning.  

4. Provide Clear Expectations and Ongoing Support

One of the biggest onboarding mistakes is leaving employees to figure things out on their own. A well-defined 30-day onboarding plan can effectively set clear expectations and point new hires down the road to success. Working with HR consultants or outsourced HR services can help small businesses develop the best onboarding plans for their specific goals and objectives. 

5. Focus on Continuous Improvement

Finally, it’s important to remember that onboarding shouldn’t be a static process but one that can improve over time. Make sure to gather feedback from new hires – possibly through surveys, Q&A, or other methods – to refine your approach over time.

Make Their First Day Great!

A well-planned, well-executed onboarding experience sets expectations for the employee’s career within a company. By developing the right approach to onboarding processes, tapping into HR expertise, and possibly using HR software, today’s small businesses can create organized, efficient, and engaging onboarding experiences.

It’s good for employees and the employer: better onboarding leads to increased productivity, higher retention rates, and happier employees ready to contribute to business growth.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is onboarding?

Onboarding is the official process of bringing new employees into a company and giving them the information and resources they need to be as productive as possible. Effective onboarding processes help new hires learn more about their role and responsibilities, get answers to any questions they may have, and fully understand team dynamics, the company’s values and culture, and other important details. 

What is the goal of onboarding?

The goal of onboarding is to give each new hire the information, resources, and connections they need to become productive, confident, and fully engaged in their new position. It is also intended to be more efficient than informal hiring processes that may overlook important steps or waste too much time. 

What are the benefits of a good onboarding process?

A good onboarding process increases a new hire’s productivity as quickly as possible by giving them all the tools, information, and resources to succeed starting on day one. It also reinforces your company’s reputation as an employer of choice, leading to higher levels of employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention. 

What are the negative consequences of a less-than-ideal onboarding process?

A disorganized or incomplete onboarding process leads to confusion, wasted time, and the lost opportunity to start things off on the right foot. Research has shown that bad onboarding experiences leave employees feeling isolated and disconnected – early signs of disengagement that lead to decreased productivity and even higher turnover rates. 

How can small businesses improve onboarding?

Small businesses can improve onboarding by partnering with an experienced HR consultant who understands onboarding best practices and can tailor the entire process to meet your needs. This can include everything from creating clear onboarding plans to suggesting the best HR software to automate important steps related to workflows, paperwork, and compliance. With expert guidance, small businesses can focus on finding top talent while being assured they have an effective onboarding process for new hires.