All-4-HR Blog Spot: Is an On-boarding Policy Necessary?

Is an On-boarding Policy Necessary?

A poorly-designed or ill-executed onboarding process will quickly erode employee/client confidence and satisfaction, as well as increase service delivery difficulty and cost.

Onboarding is the process through which new employees and/ or new customers acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviors to become effective organizational members and insiders. Onboarding includes formal meetings, lectures, videos, printed materials or computer-based orientations to introduce newcomers to their new jobs and organization. The process for employee onboarding orientation, which a lot of companies no longer recognize its importance incudes new hire orientation. New hiring orientation, however, is the company’s initial opportunity to make a formal introduction of the company, departments and the new employee’s job.

Customer onboarding involves technology assessment, infrastructure modifications, updates and upgrades. Also customer onboarding includes setting up the client account and configuring, testing and confirming the client’s ability to generate properly formatted service requests with all required information via email and the service desk portal.

Onboarding is essential to developing and growing a lasting employee/employer relationship. Although some companies do not utilize them, new hire orientations are very important in showing your new hire that your organization exhibits an open policy and asserting that the new hire has all of the tools needed to become a productive, happy employee of their new workplace. As a HR professional you want to make sure your new hire is comfortable and most importantly engaging with the company’s culture from the start. It is a sure way to ensure a positive employee/employer relationship.

Your Company Should Absolutely Have an Onboarding Policy that includes:

New Hire Orientation: Your new hire orientation should not inundate employees with too much information. Information such as company’s 100 year anniversary can wait. New hire orientation information should include benefit information, company’s expectations, start time/lunch time, end of work day schedule, parking, mentor/new hire buddy. Do not rush through important information, as it will make it difficult for your new hire to remember all of the information if moving too quickly.

Before Your New Hire Arrives: Be sure to notify co-workers in the department of the new-hire’s arrival. Ask the co-workers to welcome your new hire and offer their support and assistance.

Prepare a tasks list for the new hire to accomplish during the first couple of days.
Schedule the new employee for applicable training(s).
Ensure the employee’s work area is available, clean, and has the necessary tools, supplies and equipment.
Set up email accounts, computer logins, etc.
Obtain any door keys, passes, parking permits, etc., the employee will need.
Gather information that the employee will be given (handbook, policies, benefits, etc.)
If possible, assign the employee a mentor (recommended).
Arrange for the employee to meet key people in the organization.