The Essentials of Employee Onboarding

HR plays a key role in the onboarding process. She creates the concept and informs everyone involved in the company. The human resources department controls the process so that every new hire reliably triggers a systematic and smooth induction process.

Why is onboarding important for new employees?

Onboarding a new employee can only be successful if everyone involved - whether supervisor, security officer or office manager - knows what is required of them and everyone works together. Ideally, the human resources department controls the process so that every new hire is onboarded smoothly and with consistent quality.

It is particularly important that you do more than just send a checklist to all managers once (you can find a customizable template here). As the driving force, you approach all relevant departments from IT to office management at an early stage and clarify which details they need and when so that the laptop, access card, etc. are ready for the new employee in time. This is the only way to ensure that your new initiatives work in the long term.

How can you manage the onboarding process?

Here are some of the things you can consider during the onboarding process:

• Create a concept that covers the various tasks within the five onboarding phases and determines which internal company functions are responsible for these tasks and when.
• It is important to clarify responsibilities and the required lead times at an early stage, e.g. for time recording and access cards, employee ID cards, office supplies, computers, software and access authorizations. The same applies to providing the necessary data for payroll and creating an employee file. Plan realistic lead times.
• Compile all administrative steps as well as the technical and social responsibilities of the individual HR managers, managers and teams in a checklist. Since hiring and onboarding a new colleague is usually not part of a normal workday, a list detailing the individual onboarding steps is very helpful for any new hire and creates a routine. Download a checklist with the · most important points here, which you can adapt at any time to the general conditions and responsibilities in your company.
• You relieve your managers when the onboarding process is carried out with the help of HR software. Automation simplifies the completion of the individual steps, from administrative tasks to the onboarding plan. The HR software makes it easy to create templates and allows you to assign each task to the responsible person/department. In this way, the onboarding process with each new employee can be adapted to their individual function and role.
• After responsibilities and due dates are entered, to-do reminders and deadlines automatically appear on the responsible people's screens. With a click of the mouse you can mark the task as “completed”. The reminder function is particularly helpful for managers for tasks that do not occur immediately before or after the new employee's first days of work, such as scheduling feedback meetings after a few weeks. Another advantage for the HR department is that they always have an overview of the current status of an employee's onboarding process.

How to promote a positive induction culture?

In order for the initial greeting, induction and social integration of the new employee to be successful, managers and colleagues must be committed to their actions;

• Talk to team leaders and managers about the importance of onboarding and support them with training if necessary. A welcoming culture, professional and social training and the commitment of the team during the onboarding process must become a given.
• Find out if the new employee needs a company tour or training and help organize these events.
• Involve the leadership team: Staff meetings with all new employees are a good way to communicate the company's goals, values and culture; they also promote a sense of community.
• Regular feedback discussions with the relevant department, the manager and the new employee are important because you can find out where there are problems in the onboarding process and where you can make adjustments.
• Create a PowerPoint template for new employee onboarding presentation. The responsible department heads must then add some additional information well before their new team member's first day of work.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a well-organized onboarding process, powered by IceHrm, is paramount for the success of new employees. With HR at the helm, strategic planning, clear communication, and leveraging IceHrm technology contribute to a smooth transition. Fostering a positive induction culture through commitment, training, and feedback ensures a welcoming environment and sets the stage for long-term success.