Onboarding New Employees Successfully

You've found the perfect new employee after an exhaustive hiring process. The next step is to spend some time training and filling out paperwork , also known as onboarding. This is an important time for any business, as it gives you the perfect opportunity to make a good first impression on your newest team member.

You don't need a large human resources department to set up procedures that will impress your new hires. Here are a few tips to make your business's onboarding process a success.

Have a Process

The first step in setting up an onboarding process is to actually have a process. Outline, in writing, all the first steps necessary to get a new employee up and running. This can include putting together a packet that has all the paperwork new hires need to fill out. If this process is automated, have a sheet with instructions to help new employees get into the system.

Create a Job Plan

Every new employee wants to know what the job entails. Yes, this was probably in the job ad candidates saw when they applied. However, you should provide a detailed description of what you expect to see out of your new employee. You can then regularly provide feedback about how the employee is doing at meeting those expectations.

Incorporate the Team

If your new employees are interacting only with one manager, you're missing a great opportunity. Make sure others on the team are involved in the onboarding process, as well. This will give everyone a chance to bond, which will speed up the process of the employee feeling a part of the team. Assign someone in a similar role to show the employee around or serve as a mentor for the day to help the new hire get acclimated.

Monitor Results

Your onboarding procedure should be constantly improving. Put measures in place to analyze how well your process is working. Soliciting feedback from employees on how well they were trained can be especially helpful. You can also monitor retention rates , comparing how each employee was onboarded in relation to how long they stayed on the team. As your business grows, your onboarding process should improve, as well.

A successful onboarding program takes time to develop. Think through the type of work culture you'd like to create and make sure your onboarding program reflects it. Since these early days will make an important first impression on your newest employees, it's important they match the image you want to project as a business.