With the rapid pace of digitalization, businesses need to incorporate new hires fast. Onboarding training has become more important than ever and new trends keep piling up.
Notwithstanding the hectic atmosphere, it is crucial to allow plenty of time for new hires to adapt and there are a couple of tips on how to set them on the right track ASAP.
Now, keep in mind that hybrid work models have changed several approaches, practices, and procedures, onboarding included. It’s only natural that office workers and remote teams will interact in different ways.
Even though hybrid and online meet-ups can bridge the gap, there’s still a significant difference between face-to-face communication and online meetings. Some people simply have their preferences, so make sure to balance the approach to suit every taste.
Onboarding Best Practices
Polishing onboarding training materials is common, but have you ever thought of surprising new hires? Nowadays, there are some stellar kits to help employee onboarding, so giving it a go might help businesses break the ice.
Next on, make sure to make your onboarding training procedures engaging. This should be a priority as newcomers should be fired up and look forward to their job adventure.
The finest of onboarding materials teach the hires how to cooperate efficiently and adapt to rapid changes.
Different businesses will settle for different materials, but several guidelines should be observed.
For starters, it is crucial to define best practices for communicating the schedule, compensation, responsibilities, and tasks.
Next on, you should make the transition simple. Make sure that your HR teams have collected the necessary paperwork so that new hires can hop right in. Send job requisition documents to the manager, too.
New tech comes next. With so many solutions nowadays, training is unavoidable. Before that, ensure that new hires have access to corporate tools, and set up necessary accounts and logins.
These would be the universal parts. As for personal onboarding procedures, have your HR teams adjust them as necessary.
To overcome the toughest HR challenges, your HR professionals should be equipped with state-of-the-art software solutions.
How to Go About Remote Onboarding?
Remote teams have become customary, meaning that onboarding procedures have been adapted to fit the new trend.
Since training materials usually take the form of a video, there’s practically no difference in onboarding for office workers and remote teams.
However, there’s that little conundrum certain to come back with revenge if you neglect it: integrating office workers and remote employees.
It is better to organize hybrid meet-ups earlier than later. Cross-team collaboration is one of the most complex processes to manage, so getting team members to know one another as soon as possible is recommended.
Make a Spotless First Impression
As the saying goes, there’s only one chance to make a good first impression, so make it count. Building a healthy relationship with employees starts with this small step, too.
Alas!, due to the rapid pace of workplace development, people have forgotten good manners and the basics of human interaction. Superficiality is rooted in a lack of time and motivation, in most cases, so think hard about the type of business culture you want to establish.
The road to a positive and encouraging environment starts with a genuine gesture. Make it clear that you’re set to help new hires succeed.
This is no hearsay, either. According to the Human Capital Institute, ca. 70% of new hires decide “whether to stay or leave an organization within the first six months of joining.”
“Business as usual” can wait human interactions cannot.
Greet New Hires With a Welcome Message
In life, small gestures often make the greatest input. The same applies to welcoming new hires.
Create a welcome message for each new hire. It doesn’t take much time to do this and the person in question will appreciate it.
In addition, inform the team about the newcomer in advance. Provide a brief introduction, noting the employee’s professional background and other relevant info.
In this way, awkward introductions can turn into enjoyable moments.
Organize Introductions
Organizing an introduction day is a good method to help new hires relax and meet colleagues upon arrival. The event doesn’t have grand and costs an arm and a leg: a simple meet-up will do.
In this matter, it is generally a good idea to stick to the start-up mindset where every employee sees company success as their own. Getting new hires to fit in under these circumstances is much easier than in a traditional workplace, so why not get everyone to share a drink and introductions?
Set Goals
Of course, work isn’t all about partying. Setting goals and communicating them clearly should be done during the onboarding process.
The goals need to be realistic and, preferably, come with milestones.
New hires should be let in on standard operating procedures (SOP) early on and provided assistance with practical tasks.
It is always a good idea to set up a knowledge-sharing system, but since it’s a complex process that takes time, if you don’t have one, connect new hires with employees who can help them with their tasks.
New employees must know who to go to for advice and not waste time looking for the right person.
Assigning a mentor is highly recommended, and we’ll detail a bit exactly why.
Assign a Mentor to Each New Hire
Every new hire should be assigned a mentor. The practice helps newcomers learn the ropes faster and meet many colleagues early on. To that end, it is recommended to pick a mentor from a different team.
Socialization is critical for new employees as they may feel isolated or overwhelmed in the beginning. There’s nothing that says “welcome” better than an enjoyable work culture.
In addition, the practice upholds knowledge transfer. No matter how stellar your onboarding training is, still, a lot of time is needed for new hires to learn everything. Mentors can provide prompt information and feedback, the fastest way to transfer knowledge.
Consequentially, the practice will boost engagement; obviously, having a mentor teach their colleagues will show new hires that they’re valued. By comparison, they could watch some random training video.
Finally, mentors help new hires understand the work culture. Basically, this means that new employees will integrate faster and when that happens, they’ll know exactly where to go for advice when they need it.
Encourage Networking
To understand the plight of new hires, we only need to go back to our first job. The feeling of an alien culture, unknown people, and procedures yet to be digested is not a pleasant one.
While mentors can help ease this initial anxiety, it is also recommended to encourage networking within an organization (and beyond).
Positive workplace connections are directly linked to employee satisfaction and all good habits that spring from it (engagement, productivity, high morale, etc.).
Integration, Productivity, Agility: A Trio for the Future
All of these tips should lead to better integration, productivity, and agility. After all, these 3 processes are a prerequisite for success. Organizations that always consider these factors will have no trouble getting new hires to fit in.
Lastly, don’t forget to set up appropriate communication channels (that are easy to use!). Communication is the first step to organizational success.
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