As you run your business and hire new staff, onboarding is crucial to establish value. Hiring, interviewing, and covering the candidate’s position can all be a challenge, but some fail to remember onboarding.
No matter how qualified new staff may be, they need time to understand how the system works. As the manager, create a procedure to help their first day come with less shock. Read on for ways to help new staff easily onboard to produce great results.
1. Tell the Team About Them
Since the team already knows each other, new staff will always find it hard to assimilate at first. Telling the team about new hires will help to assimilate better. You can do this through a unified message system that keeps everyone in the loop, even if working remotely.
It helps the team understand the scope of the new hire’s work and its impact on them. Host a get-together with the team as soon as new staff join. This is an opportunity to make everyone feel comfortable and connected.
At the end of the meeting, the new staff should feel less overwhelmed. The get-together can also be a team lunch date on the first day. All this is very important for breaking the ice on the first day of work.
2. Reach Out Before They Start
Before new staff report to the office, let them know that the company is excited for them to start. You should also send them onboarding documents like contracts, non-disclosures, and payment information. Share with them human resource information and an outline of their tasks.
This will allow them to review the contract details before reporting for work. All this is in the interest of making the process less overwhelming, even if they don’t sign until their first day of reporting.
You could also prepare other details such as the relevant logins and a calendar of the meetings they’re expected to attend in the first few weeks. Inform them of other details like company culture, dress code, or request relevant documents like ID or passport info.
3. Have a Schedule
Since the new hire is not aware of the company processes, create a schedule for the first few days of work to help them acclimate faster. Give them some tasks to start working on from the first day.
Make their workload light when starting, and then give them a general outlook for the initial month. This period is necessary for them to understand how everything works. Don’t forget to spare time to review and ask questions on things they are yet to understand fully.
Ensure new staff get to meet as many people as possible, so they have a visual of the whole work area and understand the company better. Depending on the type of job, you can also decide to give them a bit of control to start taking over their role one day at a time.
4. Set-Up Time with Their Manager
The importance of a manager meeting with new staff cannot be over-emphasized. This is because their relationship matters a lot for the new hire to know what is expected of them. It makes a big difference to have regular one-on-one meetings during the first few weeks.
These are when the manager reviews how the new hire is performing while setting realistic expectations for the role taken. One-on-one meetings with the manager have proven to give new hires early growth.
They experience a stronger sense of belonging and better team collaboration. New hires need regular meetings with the manager to understand the company’s expectations better.
Make it Less Stressful
One cannot get hired for a position without meeting the set criteria. However, assimilating that person into a new work environment can be challenging if not handled properly. New staff should be made to feel wanted, and therefore the onboarding process should be as smooth as possible. Ensure that they’re properly introduced to the team and the manager in charge and help them understand what is expected.