Onboarding
Onboarding is the process of integrating a new employee into the company. Onboarding is when and how you give the person access to the tools, information, and people they will need to succeed in their new job. You want them to be successful, that's why you hired them, so make the onboarding process as good and as complete as you can.
The Onboarding Process
The onboarding process begins even before you hire someone. It continues when you hire the person and when they start working. And good onboarding continues for awhile after the new employee starts.Before The New Employee Starts
There is a lot of the onboarding process that can and should be completed before the employee starts working. These are discussed in detail in the article Onboarding: Before The Employee Starts.When The New Employee Starts
The new employee arrives the designated morning all fired up and ready to do great things. You have to meet that enthusiasm.- WELCOME the new person.
Greet them when they arrive. Don't be stuck in a meeting and keep them waiting for you to get around to them. - Have everything ready.
Show the person to their office, a conference room, the HR department, or wherever they will start the onboarding process. Have the complete packet ready with al the forms they need to fill out, all the paperwork you need to give them, their email address, login in sites, temporary passwords, and anything else they will need. Give them a form or some other way to request anything they need that isn't provided up front. - Start their orientation.
Do it yourself if you have the time. Otherwise assign a mentor or a 'buddy' to introduce the person around and get them settled in. Depending on the size of your company, you may not need all these things, but consider the following:- Show them to their office, desk, or work area
- Show them where your office is and where your team's area is
- Give them a map or floor plan if you have a big building or lots of buildings
- show them the location of conference room they may be using
- Show them the lunchroom and the restroom location
- Introduce them to the key people.
They won't remember everyone so concentrate on the people they need to know. Introduce them to the team, to your boss and any other management people they may need to know. Introduce them to the support departments (HR, IT, Payroll, Security, etc.). And, of course, introduce them to anyone you encounter while you are on the tour. Note who you introduce them to because you'll want to finish the introductions later. - Get them integrated.
Make sure they are invited to all standing meetings (resend Outlook meeting invitations to them if needed). Go over the policies. Make sure they know their start time, work hours, lunch break, etc. Let them know about any upcoming company or team events that are coming up so they have an opportunity to join in. - Have a one-on-one meeting with them. Make sure they know what you expect of them. Find out what they need from you. Let them know about any standard reports they need to give you and when. Let them know what to do about timesheets or other methods used for tracking their work.
- Have work read for them as soon as they finish orientation.
They shouldn't have to sit around and wonder what to work on. You're busy, that's why you hired them. Don't overload them, but make them feel needed and part of the team from the very beginning.
After The New Employee Has Started
You'll want to over-communicate with the new person at the beginning. Keep track of how the onboarding, orientation, and integration is going. Address any problems right away.- Have quick check-ins.
Talk to the new hire as the end of their first day approaches. Answer any questions. Let them know what to expect tomorrow. This is an opportunity for you to just do a quick temperature check and make sure everything is going smoothly. Do the same at the end of the second day. - Have a short meeting after a week.
Take a half hour or so at the end of their first week for a meeting. The purpose is the same as the quick check-ins, but the longer time gives you a chance to ask more questions and provide more detailed answers. You'll be able to identify at this point whether or not the individual is going to fit in. It may be too early to tell how well they can do the job, but you should have an idea. Address any concerns in this meeting to keep problems from getting larger. - Celebrate.
At the end of their first month (set a reminder in your calendar so you don't forget), have a quick team meeting. Just acknowledge the new person as a part of the team. Highlight any successes they have had by that point. Just let them know they are a valuable part of the team.
