In 2024, more than 80% of employees whose onboarding was a positive experience claim they still hold their company in high regard. The battle doesn’t end with hiring a qualified candidate. They need to feel at home and easily integrate into your team.
The new employee might be wondering if they will like working with their new colleagues or if they will be liked. At the same time, the manager is looking for reassurance that they made the right hire and that the new person will integrate smoothly. The long-term goal is for them to become an effective member of the team.
Orientation and the company’s mission and values
Researchers have found that an effective onboarding process can improve retention of new hires by 82%. An exception entry experience can also increase new employee productivity by up to 50%. Worryingly, 53% of employers state that they don’t know how to assess the benefits and downsides of their existing onboarding process in 2024.
Before the new hire’s first day, send them an email welcoming them to the team. Include any necessary paperwork and details about their first day. Set up their workspace, including necessary equipment, software access, and any other resources they might need. Unless the job is remote, give them a tour of the office and introduce them to their team members.
You can then proceed to introduce the core values that guide the company’s actions and decisions. These values reflect the beliefs and principles that are fundamental to your company’s culture. Try to give examples that illustrate how the company’s mission and values are reflected in its day-to-day operations, products, or services. Real-life scenarios help new hires understand the practical application of these concepts.
Explain how each employee’s role contributes to fulfilling the company’s mission and upholding its values. Help new hires see the direct link between their work and the company’s larger purpose. There are specific techniques you can apply in this process, such as workforce scheduling, which can incorporate dedicated time for training and onboarding activities.
By scheduling training sessions, shadowing opportunities, and one-on-one meetings with mentors or supervisors, new hires can quickly get up to speed in their roles.
Training and development
Developing employees to contribute effectively usually includes a well-established integration plan. Obviously, the new employee was hired to fill a certain position and needs the corresponding training. This should be a collaborative effort. As the manager, you are responsible for understanding their needs and aligning opportunities within the company structures.
You can start by asking what motivates them. Some employees have a knack for organizing and would prefer to help wrap up the day, while others prefer interacting with customers and would enjoy making follow-up calls, for example. Try to find out if the new employee wants to take on more responsibilities. Some people flourish when given more opportunities and responsibilities.
Once you’ve found how they’re motivated, create a structured training plan tailored to their role and skill level. Offer training sessions on company tools, systems, and processes, provide shadowing and hands-on learning opportunities, and encourage participation in relevant courses.
Ideally, they will want to get along with you and their coworkers. However, everyone has emotional or behavioral triggers. Their strength can vary from person to person, but they often result in uncomfortable interactions or situations. People push back when individual triggers are activated. A trigger can be as simple as saying “you should have” instead of “you might want to consider,” looking at emails or the phone while talking, or chewing gum during the conversation.
Final thoughts
Onboarding and integration remain key challenges, with 81% of employees feeling overwhelmed during these processes. You could consider an end-to-end information system to rise to these challenges. According to 42% of HR professionals, the most important company information is too scattered throughout different systems and platforms, which makes onboarding new hires more difficult.
