When they enter the company, the orientation phase begins. New employees have to find and understand their place within the corporate structure. But integrating them into the team is also important, so that they feel personally welcomed.
The final phase of employee onboarding is full integration into the business. During this phase, new hires internalise a company’s values.
This allows them to identify more closely with their own work at their new workplace which is a significant factor for employee retention.
Preparation phase – creating the right conditions
Certain tasks on the onboarding checklist need to be ticked off before the first day at work in order to reduce anxieties:
- New hires are informed in advance about how their first day will proceed and are given information about dress code at the workplace.
- Reception should be informed about new staff and should welcome them accordingly. They should also know which team new hires belong to, and take them there.
- The new workplace should be ready to use, clean and friendly.
- This includes complete, functional technical equipment. The paperwork that accounting needs to check an employee in should also be at the ready.
- A welcome package should ideally include information about the company’s mission statement, an organisational chart and an induction plan. A small welcome gift at the workplace won’t go amiss either.
Orientation phase – personal welcome
The first few weeks at a new workplace aren’t just about the things an employee has to do, they are about introducing them to the company.
- A tour of the company and the product world will give new hires an overview of the entire working environment.
- New employees should receive an opportunity during the onboarding process to get to know members of management and all the departments in person.
- Inviting employees to lunch together will help them get to know their new team. It is especially important that their immediate managers are included in this process.
- A mentor serves as a constant point of contact and can guide new employees to anyone else they might need to speak to. This will help them get to grips with their work and their new subject area.
- A manager acting as a coach is always much better at conveying a company’s aims and philosophy than a set of guidelines.