When starting a new job, the feeling of the company being unprepared for your arrival can be disheartening. Nearly everyone has experienced it—management doesn’t have much to offer but a quick hello before pawning you off on another employee, equally unprepared, who is given the responsibility to show you the ropes. If you haven’t experienced that before, those who have will tell you that it doesn’t make for a good first impression. Proper onboarding processes are more than just first impressions.
The onboarding process stretches beyond that first day, ensuring a new hire’s comfort and future performance within their role is enough to give way to overall satisfied work. That’s why we’re sharing with you a guide to a 3-layer onboarding process.
There are 3 general aspects of a proper onboarding process: before the new hire starts work, during the first week, and the first 30-90 days. Let’s take a look at each in order.
Before the New Hire Starts Work
- Create a first-week agenda for your new employee
- Create a comfortable work station for your new hire
- Provide new employee with a welcome gift
- Prepare and send the employee a list of helpful information—dress code, directions, access codes, who to speak to upon arrival, etc.
During the First Week
- Help your new hire get the lay of the land with a detailed office tour
- Set aside enough time for orientation
- Plan a manager’s meeting so the new hire can get familiar with their direct superior
- Cover important work processes—email protocol, decision-making processes, communication expectations, any software or technology they will need to be familiar with, etc.
The First 30-90 Days
- Invest in training
- Allow for job shadowing
- Encourage feedback on how the new hire is adjusting
- Conduct first employee evaluation for a progress check and to see if they are fully adjusted to your organization
An effective onboarding process is much more than showing the newbie where to find the bathroom. It takes ongoing, attentive steps throughout their first few months to ensure they are adjusted and satisfied in their position. Use these steps to ensure your new hire is here to stay.
And if you’re still looking for someone to hire, take a look at Talexes’ suite of employee assessments to help you hire the candidate with the best job fit.
