What is employee onboarding?

Employee onboarding is a program for new hires that integrates employees into a company or helps them understand the company’s products and services. The onboarding process lasts up to one year, and it’s a process involving management and coworkers within new employees’ department.

In other words, employee onboarding is a hands-on version of an orientation, which extends outside of a classroom environment. Employees learn their primary responsibilities, the main tasks they need to complete, who they direct questions to, the approval process for their work and the best ways to make suggestions.

Related: Employee Orientation vs. Employee Onboarding

Why is it important to effectively onboard employees?

Companies create a comprehensive onboarding process to maintain a high retention rate, job satisfaction and employee performance. Employees learn more about an organization’s core values during onboarding, which serves as a guide to help themconduct themselves in the workplace. Employers educate employees about the value of the position they hold in addition to the expectations given by their manager.

The intent of providing employees with this information is to motivate them to perform well in their new position and integrate them into your company’s culture. This information increases a new employee’s chances to cultivate healthy relationships with coworkers, especially if they’re introduced directly.

Here are some benefits of employee onboarding for employers:

• • Establishes trust and connections with employees: Onboarding gives new employees knowledge of your company’s organizational processes and helps them understand the approach they need to take to accomplish your goals. Speaking with senior management identifies the best ways to acclimate new employees to the company and understand your objectives.

• • Allows employees to provide feedback: A high-quality onboarding process communicates how employees give feedback on how to improve your company. The input they give generates a solution to a problem or another approach to solve a problem.

• Increases business performance: A successful employee onboarding program aids employees in feeling engaged with their coworkers. High engagement increases the productivity of employees because they feel that they belong to your company and they feel motivated to grow their skills and your company’s growth.

 Related: Learn how to create an onboarding checklist for your new employee. 

New trends for onboarding employees

Consider implementing some of these recent trends for onboarding practices:

Preboarding

Presenting preboarding activities gets future employees excited to work for your company. Send these activities before or after a candidate accepts a job offer. Giving the first steps of the onboarding process to candidates on a mobile device, sending company merchandise to their homes or sending motivational text messages are ways you can initiate your company’s onboarding process. These steps show your company’s willingness to engage with future employees and your commitment to having them on your team.

Personalization

Personalization is an onboarding method that can enhance the productivity of an employee. Choose various methods, like creating workflows, that help them learn new information on how to become successful in their new position. Additional personalization examples include:

• A video on an employee’s day working for your company
• Online training videos
• A guide to success while working for your organization
• Explanation of the importance of their role
• Overview of your company’s policies and procedures
• Guidelines for how to communicate in the workplace

Socialization

Socialization activities increase the relationships employees have with their coworkers. If employees have good relationships with their coworkers, they’re more likely to enjoy work and stay with your company longer. Create events like team lunches, buddy programs and mentorship programs to reinforce your company’s values and help employees thrive.

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about employee onboarding: