What does reboarding entail?

The program for reboarding existing members of your workforce after a break of more than a few weeks can closely reflect your company’s onboarding process. The goals of your session should include:

• Making sure employees have a successful transition back into company culture and workflow
• Providing news about changes and updates that have occurred while workers were away
• Giving reboarding team members the tools they need to resume former levels of engagement and productivity
• Assessing the need for updated safety, technical or other training and providing the required orientation to these topics

After the reboarding program, your returning team members should be ready to do their jobs effectively, although the exact plan for preparation will differ across industries and organizations.

Why should companies invest in reboarding employees?

Reboarding serves the dual purpose of preparing your workers to return after an absence through both an emotional lens and a productivity lens. On the emotional side, returning employees should feel welcome and encouraged to engage and reconnect with their colleagues. They may feel uncomfortable at first, particularly without the security and support of a strong reboarding process.

As far as productivity, reboarding requires a refresher on expectations and policy changes. Without this orientation, workers can be slow to get back up to speed and may not be as productive as they were before the break. Employees who have been absent for long periods will need a more robust reboarding in this regard, particularly if policies and procedures have changed substantially over the duration of the leave.

When done correctly and with attention to these two focus areas, companies can encourage an elevated level of motivation and focus from returning teams. Taking the time to reboard your employees can help remind these team members about the positive aspects of working for your business. Clear communication during this transition period ensures that all employees are on the same page, particularly when you have a completely or partially remote workforce.

How can my company create a reboarding protocol?

Effective reboarding requires detailed planning. Gallup recommends using company culture as a framework for a reboarding plan that emphasizes these key areas:

• Leadership and communication
• Values and rituals
• Human resources
• Team structure and workflow
• Performance management

While reboarding has similar goals as onboarding, it’s important not to rehash the same content you give to brand-new employees. Instead, reboarding programs should ideally emphasize change management and illuminate areas where your company has incorporated new practices, policies and procedures, such as:

• Remote and flexible work policies, particularly if your company has shifted from an in-person structure
• Health and safety protocols, such as wearing masks while working with customers
• Upgrades to hardware, software and other tech resources, especially when workers will require training in these areas
• Changes to company policies and procedures, with an emphasis on those changes affecting the team member’s responsibilities directly
• Updates to the physical workspace, such as office or desk assignment changes

Although you should ideally customize the reboarding process for each individual, having a standardized outline allows you to update where needed without reinventing the wheel. Consider these strategies to plan an effective reboard plan for returning employees.

Communicate with clarity

Your staff should understand what to expect when they return, especially after a long absence and in situations involving changing roles and responsibilities. Each team member should receive a roadmap of the reboarding process to guide a clear path forward. This map should cover:

• Career expectations, including a review of the worker’s role and the trajectory for development and advancement, particularly when tasks or responsibilities have changed
• Assessments the company will conduct during the onboarding process
• A list of required training sessions or modules

Transparent, clear communication enhances employee trust, an important component of workplace engagement, satisfaction and retention.

Include employees in the process

Keep that open line of communication open as you embark on reboarding a returning worker. Check in to find out how they’re feeling about the return and talk about what they think they need to succeed. Some employees might transition quickly and successfully, while others require a higher level of support. Taking the person’s temperature along the way can help your managers make adjustments appropriately. When reboarding a group of employees, you can send surveys to elicit feedback or rely on one-to-one conversations to gather helpful input about what works and what doesn’t.

Prepare for performance gaps

When someone has been away from the workplace for a while, it makes sense that they may be unable to perform at the same level right away. Consider whether key job requirements or standard operating procedures have changed during the person’s leave and how those alterations may drive the need for additional training. Having support in place can accelerate the returning employee’s ability to once again meet performance expectations.

Focus on format

While reboarding should be comprehensive, avoid overwhelming employees with long text documents and manuals. Instead, keep communications as concise as possible while reinforcing the key points. Strive for intentional messaging that emphasizes company culture, mission and vision. You can enhance the ability of these materials to engage your team members by incorporating interactive elements such as videos, quizzes and hands-on activities.

Partner returning and new employees

Workers can refresh workplace knowledge and get back into the swing of things at your company by mentoring an individual joining the team for the first time. Creating a program where you pair reboarding and onboarding workers provides returning employees a chance to build rapport and show off their institutional knowledge, both factors that can boost confidence during this sometimes tough transition. Both groups can benefit from this relationship as long as the person coming back from leave has a positive view of their position and the organization as a whole.

Add a welcoming touch

The first day back to the office isn’t always easy, especially for someone who might be recovering from an illness or returning from a financially challenging furlough period. Acknowledge how much you appreciate your team member by kicking off the reboarding process with a small welcome token. Think something like a card at their desk signed by everyone in the department, a catered lunch for the team or a special treat in the break room.