The importance of a smooth onboarding process

Whether you call it induction or onboarding, it is so important to ensure that new starters are given the best possible introduction to your organisation.

Onboarding is more than just compliance

While there will always be a requirement for new starters to complete forms and training, a well-designed and structured onboarding process is far more than just that.

Why is a well-structured onboarding process essential?

• It can improve Employee Retention – Employee turnover costs money. Effective onboarding can assist in retaining new employees ensuring that you do not lose new starters before they have delivered a return on the recruitment, training and onboarding investments your organisation has made. New employees will decide within the first few weeks if the job is right for them. If your onboarding process is overwhelming, confusing, frustrating or lacks the appropriate training a new starter may assume that working for their new employer will be the same.
• It Boosts Productivity – Your onboarding process will give your new employees the tools and knowledge to perform their roles effectively and efficiently. A well-designed onboarding process will speed up the learning curve and make sure they are productive more quickly.
• Better company reputation – A smooth onboarding process will lead to new employees talking about your organisation positively. With the recruitment challenges a lot of sectors are facing, you want to have a good reputation in the recruitment market.

What should you focus on?

• Prioritise Well-Being – Ensure you communicate your wellness benefits, for example, your Employee Assistance Programme, flexible working/hybrid working arrangements, annual leave entitlements, mental health resources and any other benefits you have.  Employees that know where to find support when they need it and use their benefits are more likely to maintain their well-being, be resilient and be better equipped to do well in the workplace.  
• What Employees Want – Carrying out surveys of your current employees will give you an indication of the benefits, training and work environment that employees value. While it is not a hard and fast rule, understanding what will appeal and engage different generations of employees (i.e. Millennials born between 1981 and 1996 and Generation Z born between 1997 and 2012) may just assist in giving you the competitive edge in recruitment and retention.  Understanding what employees value will help you use the onboarding process to ensure you engage the new starter from the beginning. For example, Generation Z are more likely to want to do work that is meaningful. The onboarding process can ensure you clearly communication how their role connects with your organisation’s values and purpose. Providing information during onboarding on training, mentorship and opportunities to develop skills may also help retain new starters including Millennials and Generation Z.
• Ensuring employees aren’t overwhelmed by information and systems – A well-designed onboarding process will help new employees navigate all the information given and understand the processes and systems the organisation uses. Breaking training down into bitesize chunks and saving the resource materials into an easily accessible location will ensure that new employees can find the information they need to perform their roles effectively.
• Relationship Building – Include opportunities for new employees to liaise with their colleagues and build professional relationships. This will lead to collaboration and good communication within teams and impact positively on the work environment.
• Compliance – The start of the employment relationship is still the time to ensure that new employees fully understand the companies’ policies and procedures (including operational policies, HR and Health & Safety). Remember, employers must take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers in the course of their employment. The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 came into force on 26th October 2024 and introduced a new proactive duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Including training on non-harassment (inc. sexual harassment) and bullying during onboarding is one way for an organisation to reduce the risks of sexual harassment.

When planning your onboarding process don’t forget to:

• Consider Pre Boarding – Consider what steps you can take to engage your new starter as soon as possible after the offer of employment has been made.
• Be mindful of the Duration – Onboarding is more than a few hours on their first day. It is a longer process over the first weeks and months of a new starter’s employment (onboarding processes often are 30, 60 or 90 days in length).
• Personalise the Content – Ensure the onboarding process meets the needs of the new employee and all the content is relevant to their role. A well-designed onboarding process is not just content delivered to all new starters without any consideration of their position or responsibilities.

• Vary the methods of Communication – Include various methods of communication, it’s not just PowerPoint presentations. Onboarding can include regular check ins, mentoring and collaboration with colleagues. The aim is to encourage and enable the new employee to ask questions, be open and provide feedback to ensure they are engaged from the start.
• Involve different Managers and Colleagues – Onboarding is not the sole responsibility of HR (if you have this role in your organisation). A well-structured onboarding process will include managers, senior management and peers/colleagues.
• Clarify the new employee’s responsibilities and objectives – It is important to establish clear goals and objectives covering the first days, weeks and months before addressing longer term expectations.
• Use technology if you have it, but not all onboarding should be ‘online’ – If you are interested in learning more about Moorepay’s HR & Payroll systems/HCM (Human Capital Management) systems, please contact us.

Being strategic with your onboarding process will ensure your new starters are welcomed and engaged with your organisation from day one. Plus they will have the skills and knowledge to be successful in their roles. If you are interested in finding out how Moorepay can assist you with your HR training requirements, please contact us.