Employee onboarding is a critical process in which HR managers play a pivotal role. It extends beyond mere orientation and paperwork, encompassing multiple phases designed to integrate new employees into an organization and establish the foundation for their success. By implementing effective strategies, HR managers can ensure a smooth onboarding experience that enhances employee engagement, productivity, and long-term retention. This article explores the four stages of employee onboarding.
Four Stages Of Employee Onboarding
Pre-boarding
The pre-onboarding phase begins when the candidate accepts the job offer and ends on their first day of work. The main goal of this phase is to prepare the candidate for their new role and make them feel excited and welcomed. Here are the activities that you should perform during pre-onboarding:
- Send a welcome email or letter to the candidate, confirming their start date, salary, benefits, and other details.
- Provide an onboarding checklist or guide to the new employees, outlining what they need to do before their first day, such as completing paperwork, setting up employee accounts on the HRMS platform, registering biometrics, etc.
- Assign a mentor or guide to the new employees who can serve as their primary point of contact and source of support during the onboarding process.
- Use interactive video content to introduce the candidate to the company’s culture, values, and mission. This can be done through a Learning and Development module within your HCM platform.
- Invite the candidate to join any relevant social media groups or platforms where they can connect with their future colleagues and learn more about the company.
- Send a welcome package or gift to the candidate, such as a branded mug, t-shirt, or notebooks etc to enhance the onboarding experience.
Read More about Pre-boarding on this blog: What is Preboarding & Why is it Important?
Orientation
This phase begins on the employee’s first day of work and it can continue for about a week. The main goal of this phase is to familiarize the employee with their new work environment and expectations. Some of the common activities that you should perform in this stage:
- Inform the new joiners about company policies, including code of conduct, dress code, attendance policies, and guidelines for employee behavior.
- Introduce them to their team members, manager, and other key people in the organization.
- Help them with their workstation, equipment, access cards, passwords, and other resources they need to perform their tasks. You can also provide them with an office tour.
- Familiarize the employee with the technology systems and tools they’ll be using.
- Provide training modules specific to their role and responsibilities. This may involve attending training sessions, workshops, or shadowing experienced colleagues to learn about the job tasks, processes, and tools they will be working with.
Integration
Integration begins after the orientation phase and it can last for about three months. The main goal of this phase is to help the employee become fully productive and engaged in their new role and team. Some of the steps that you should take in this phase are:
- Coordinate with the managers of the new employees. Inform them about their responsibilities towards the new employees and make sure that managers fulfill their responsibilities in a timely manner. The managers are required to assign meaningful tasks and projects, provide regular feedback, coaching, and ensure the employee’s overall progress and development.
- Provide guidance to managers on effective onboarding and integration practices, monitor the new employees’ progress regularly, and facilitate any necessary resources or support.
- Deliver ongoing support to the new employees throughout the integration phase. Schedule regular check-ins to discuss their progress, address any concerns or challenges they may be facing, and provide guidance as needed.
- Identify opportunities for the employee to grow and develop within the organization. This can involve discussing their career aspirations, providing stretch assignments or projects, or recommending professional development opportunities.
- Ensure that the employee has access to the necessary resources and tools to perform their job effectively. This can include providing them with a workstation, computer, software licenses, access to relevant databases or systems, and any other tools or equipment they may need.
Feedback
This phase begins after the integration phase and lasts as long as the employee stays with the organization. The goal of this phase is to ensure that the employees are satisfied and motivated in their role and to identify and address any issues or concerns. Here are some of the activities that you should conduct during this stage:
- Regularly survey the employees to measure their satisfaction, engagement, and retention levels. Managers and HR collect feedback to assess their satisfaction and engagement.
- Gather feedback from the employee on their onboarding experience to identify areas for improvement. HR collects feedback to enhance the onboarding process.
- Conduct performance reviews and set new goals. Managers should evaluate the employee’s performance, provide feedback, and establish new objectives.
- Provide ongoing learning and development opportunities for the employee’s career advancement. Offer programs and resources for continuous growth.
- Conduct exit interviews to understand reasons for leaving and gather suggestions for improvement. HR should conduct Q&As to gain insights and enhance the overall employee experience.
What’s Next?
An effective onboarding sets the tone for the employee’s experience within the organization. It helps new hires feel welcomed, supported, and valued, increasing their engagement and commitment from day one. Efficient onboarding also accelerates the integration of new employees into the company culture, facilitating faster productivity and reducing the time it takes for them to become fully effective in their roles.
Your next step, as an HR professional, should be to start optimizing the entire onboarding process at every level. Leveraging technology is one of the best ways to do so. For instance, an employee onboarding platform can improve the induction, an LMS platform can optimize training, an employee engagement platform can promote meaningful interactions, and so on. Alternatively, an end-to-end HRMS suite can digitalize your entire employee journey from pre-hire to post-retire. So start exploring technology to take your employee onboarding process to the next level. You can begin by exploring TeamLease HCM.