How to ace the onboarding process with your employees

An effective onboarding process is one of the most impactful parts of your recruitment process. It’s arguably a job-defining period of time when employees are either set up for success – or potentially failure. 

To better understand how employers can ace the onboarding process, hello leaders spoke to two leading HR experts for their tips and insights. 

Engage with staff before day one 

The first day of a new job can be incredibly overwhelming, so it’s up to the employer to help ease an employee into a new environment. But you don’t have to wait until they officially start. Susan Sadler, the Founder and CEO of Red Wagon Workplace Solutions, emphasised that onboarding begins well before the first day on the job.

“Every touch point with your organisation is part of the employee experience and making them feel welcome. Small details like letting them know where to get good coffee from on the first day and parking arrangements can make a huge difference to a new and nervous staff member,” Ms Sadler said. 

Communicate clearly 

While you’re at it, don’t forget to communicate clearly. Have an organised onboarding process planned out to suit individual or group intakes, and have the information ready for employees before they start. Otherwise, a haphazard introduction could leave employees set up for failure, according to Kara Kochanski, HR Consultant and Advisor.

“Onboarding can really make or break an employee’s career at a company. For example, if you look at a tripod, if it doesn’t have three legs on the ground, it will fall over. It’s the same for your employees; you want to set them up for success, which means ensuring you fully equip them during the onboarding process,” Ms Kochanski said. 

Quick tips 

• Have an employee’s manager or team leader reach out after they’ve been offered the role, especially if HR or an external agency was involved in the recruitment 
• Notify them of where and when to meet, what they need on the first day, any potential parking tips, etc 
• Provide a clear plan of tasks and duties to help employees understand the outcomes you want early on, including itemised daily structures with a clear purpose 
• Don’t forget new recruits come with their own expertise, use that to allocate future projects to them 

Show them the ropes 

When onboarding, ensure there’s time to meet key workplace figures, including C-level executives, department heads and team members. Your employees should be able to see where they fit in and feel comfortable. Ms Kochanski said incorporating existing team meetings into onboarding schedules is a great way to achieve early employee investment. 

“Engaging as a team is really important for new employees, whether it’s being involved in a 15-minute stand up or a more formal handover like you get in aged care and shift work environments,” she said.

“It’s the company prioritising a culture where they’re not just colleagues, they become friends. It’s building relationships because you want your employees to be invested in what they’re doing and the company and you will create a better team and culture.” 

• An in-depth initiation where company culture is prioritised will encourage employees to talk to their leader and colleagues if issues arise in the first week 
• Another effective onboarding tip is to pair new hires with an experienced colleague who acts as a guide/teacher during the first week or two 
• This guide should be someone with an aptitude for teaching and leading who doesn’t mind lending a hand, even for the small things 

“Getting the basics right is so important. Having someone to meet the employees and show them around, stationery and desk organised and IT actually working on day one! These are the things that leave a lasting positive impression,” Ms Sadler added. 

Remember the well-being 

Onboarding should not purely be about work, you have to remember health and well-being perks when talking to new employees. Modern workers prioritise their work-life balance and Ms Kochanski said employers have to highlight those key elements.

“Employees want to come into a cohesive team that has a good culture. Poor work culture really is one of the biggest things that affects us personally outside of work as well. No one wants to get up and go to a job when it’s dragging you down,” she said.

“There’s a big emphasis on well-being, not just at work but at home. you look at the paid domestic violence leave, it’s mandatory and it really says to employees ‘you matter outside of work, you’re not just a number.’ It’s about overall well-being and it’s about an employer working to enrich the lives of their employees.” 

Promoting your health and well-being focus during onboarding will make employees feel welcome. They need to know annual leave and well-being days are accessible, mental health support is on offer through the Employee Assistance Program, and that work does have fun elements.

You can also provide balance by allocating downtime during onboarding, which will encourage new employees to grab a coffee, step outside, or reflect on their first week – which should be the first of many.