Onboarding
What is onboarding actually?
Onboarding is a term used in human resources management. It refers to the professional induction and integration of an employee into a new workplace. Translated from the English word “onboarding”, it describes the “onboarding” of a new employee. It is about welcoming new colleagues into a company and also which measures promote integration. It is also the opposite process of offboarding.
Why is onboarding important?
Finding, inspiring and retaining good specialists is essential for successful companies. The better the integration process for new employees is carried out, the more likely it is that the employee will stay with the company. Furthermore, new hires are often associated with high recruitment costs. If the employee were to leave their job during the probationary period, for example, due to a lack of training, all investment in them would be lost.
Goals of onboarding
The aim is therefore to increase the motivation of new employees and create loyalty to the employer. This can then have a positive impact on employer branding and also reduce the number of terminations during the probationary period.
Onboarding: the process
The onboarding process begins with the signing of the employment contract and usually ends with the completion of the probationary period. The probationary period is usually around six months. However, it should be noted that the duration of onboarding depends on the complexity of the tasks. Shorter and longer periods can therefore also occur.
The tasks
The tasks of good onboarding are:
- To quickly familiarize the new team members with their new tasks.
- To introduce the corporate culture and internal processes.
- Supporting new colleagues and helping them to establish contacts with the team.
Measures for successful onboarding
There are several things you can do in HR to optimize the onboarding process:
- Create an induction plan for new employees
- Professional, social and cultural integration of new colleagues
- Anchoring the onboarding process in the company
- Conduct regular feedback and performance reviews
- Surveys to optimize the onboarding process
What onboarding phases are there?
Ideally, the onboarding process begins before the employment contract is signed. By signing the contract, an employee confirms their commitment. This is associated with different expectations, albeit often unspoken. In addition, the company wants to quickly achieve a high level of employee productivity. To achieve this, it helps to structure and think through the onboarding process. This is often divided into the following sections:
- Preparation before the first working day
- Orientation on the first day of work
- Orientation in the first week of work
- Integration during the probationary period and the first year
In the following sections, we describe tasks and procedures that have proven their worth in professional onboarding.
1. onboarding process before the first working day
Many things can be prepared and clarified before the first day so that the employee can actively participate in the company from day one. The aim of this phase is to take care of and prepare all the necessary formal and organizational matters. These include
Clarify formalities – Have all contractual details been clarified? Are keys or accesses necessary?
Information about the first day – Does the employee know when and where to appear? Is the first day or week already structured?
Involve the team – Have colleagues been informed about the new team member?
IT access & hardware – Have all software and system accesses been prepared? Have the necessary devices been organized?
Workplace – Is the workplace prepared for the new employee?
Meeting culture – Has the new employee been invited to important e.g. team meetings?
Training courses – Have necessary training courses been planned?
Organizational chart and roles – Have the roles and titles been clarified? Does the organization chart need to be expanded if necessary?
Tip: Welcome gift – organize a welcome gift to manifest the joy of working together
2. onboarding process on the first working day
According to the motto, first impressions count, the first day at work is particularly important. The first minutes and hours often leave a lasting and formative impression on the employee. It is advisable to prepare a precise schedule for this and to share it with the employee so that there is no confusion or mistakes. The following measures in particular have proven to be successful:
Welcome – Official welcome and presentation of the welcome gift, e.g. with the entire team.
Share onboarding plan – Explain the next days, weeks and processes together in an onboarding meeting
Team introduction – A round of introductions helps to quickly overcome anonymity.
Mentor – Providing a mentor, i.e. a trusted contact person for questions and challenges, creates trust and security.
Lunch – Go out for a meal with colleagues to get to know each other informally.
3. onboarding process in the first week of work
Thinking only up to the first day of work is too short-sighted. A new employee is often overwhelmed by the impressions and new information and has to process them. It is therefore all the more important to make a lasting impression as an employer. The following measures can help:
Expectation management – coordination and documentation of mutual expectations in the first few months. In particular, regular feedback meetings should be arranged in order to regularly reflect on these expectations and their fulfillment.
Legal instructions – training and communication of legal instructions, e.g. compliance rules.
Communicating corporate culture – training and communicating cultural characteristics and behavioral premises.
Communicating company goals – communicating the company’s vision and goals in order to give employees a context.
Presenting products and services – presenting and communicating the entire range of products and services in order to promote cross-departmental cooperation.
Company tour – A physical tour to familiarize yourself with the conditions on site.
First concrete tasks – agreement, explanation and handover of the first tasks.
4. onboarding process during the probationary period
Even one working week is only a limited time and is not enough to cement the relationship between employer and employee. Therefore, the onboarding process should be designed and continued until the relationship between employer and employee is secured. The following measures can help here:
Feedback meetings – agreement and adherence to regular feedback meetings for mutual reflection on expectations.
Shared experiences – creating shared experiences that promote and strengthen team cohesion.
Promote collaboration – create exchange and interaction between colleagues and teams to intertwine and strengthen relationships.
Satisfaction survey – Regular surveys on the workplace and employee satisfaction.
Checklist onboarding plan
As can be seen in the previous measures, these are often things that are easy to organize. It is important to have these measures well prepared, not to skip them and not to forget them.
If the employee realizes in the first few days and weeks that the onboarding process is unprofessional, unplanned and, for example, only works on demand, it is obvious that the employee expects this way of working in other areas of the company as well. This often has a negative impact on employee retention and employee satisfaction. In the worst case scenario, the employee quits the new job and the effort put into recruiting them by the company is lost.
For professional onboarding, it is therefore recommended to create a specific and comprehensive checklist or task list. This task list can be used to ensure that no measures or elements are forgotten. The different onboarding phases before and after the first working day can also be taken into account.
This onboarding plan can often be shared directly with the employee. This gives them a professional impression as well as structural security. All of this increases satisfaction, loyalty, motivation and ultimately the success of the company.
