Employees are your biggest asset and it is very important for the success of a business to help them adopt company culture and work towards the mission and vision since day one. Because of that, onboarding the employees you have hired is a very critical step for business owners and HR professionals.
However, sometimes they choose to skip this part assuming that their new employees will figure things out on their own or consult with other colleagues. That notion is usually wrong because the first few weeks are the most important and they might hesitate in approaching someone else in the company.
If you don’t look into this now, a few years down the line, the risk of facing employee problems is heightened. How can you successfully onboard new employees? Let’s find out.
Set achievable 90-day goals
Assign some tasks to new employees immediately and give them direction right from the start. When they meet their objectives and the goals you have set for them, the new employees will feel satisfied.
The energy will motivate them to do more and this is why it is important to set easy to reach targets rather than huge tasks that will demotivate them. If they need any resources, provide them with anything at your disposal or introduce them to people who can help them accomplish those goals.
Help them upgrade their knowledge and skills through a good induction program. Having the best learning management system in place for induction courses or other training is proven to be beneficial.
Make an employee handbook
Employee handbooks are important documents every new hire should receive. It outlines everything they need to know about the company. Let the new employee know the mission and vision of the company and what is considered success. This will nudge employees to direct their efforts in the right direction.
In the handbook, include policies that will personify company values, and make it presentable. The objective should be that new employees should enjoy reading about their workplace and what is involved in working for the organization, instead of making it feel like a burden.
Arrange a meet and greet between customers/stakeholders and new employees
Some new employees may be confused about what clients need or expect from the company. This oftentimes results in failed attempts at meeting the requirements of the client and the worst-case scenario would be losing that client.
If you give the new employee a chance to interact and personally meet up with the clients, the company can save a lot of time and costs. It will also improve their engagement in the company and lead to more productivity.
Draft FAQ lists
Within the first few days and sometimes weeks, new employees are hesitant to ask questions because they aren’t familiar with their colleagues yet. However, within those days or weeks, they still need to get some work done and adhere to company rules.
To get them out of their shells, announce their arrival to all the employees in the setup. Then prepare an FAQ list that will guide them on how to do their work until they are free to ask questions. Draft this list using the most questions that you were asked by your recent employees within the first 6 months of being hired.
Once you have completed those FAQs, review them with new employees during the onboarding process.
The bottom line
If you don’t correctly onboard new employees, they might have productivity problems that may last for a very long time, crippling your business success. The onboarding process shouldn’t necessarily be a complex and a long one but a brief and informative method should be used.
For example, the employee handbook and FAQ list can be a great starting point, in conjunction with that, set achievable goals for new employees to motivate them.
