What is the employee onboarding process?

Employee onboarding is the process of integrating a new hire into a company and preparing them to be a productive member of the team. It encompasses the first few days, weeks, and months of employment as the employee learns about the company culture, policies, processes, and job responsibilities.

Onboarding typically includes three steps:

1. An orientation introduces the employee to the company and explains their responsibilities.
2. Training teaches the skills needed for the job.
3. Socializing helps the employee connect with co-workers and adapt to company culture.

Taking time to properly onboard improves employee satisfaction and retention. In short, it sets up everyone for success.

What is required for employee onboarding?

Ensuring a seamless onboarding process involves a series of key steps, from handling initial paperwork to providing comprehensive training and seamlessly integrating new employees into the company culture.

Start by fostering clear communication between HR and the new hire. This involves promptly sending out all necessary paperwork, addressing any queries the employee may have, and establishing transparent expectations for the onboarding journey. Equally important is ensuring that new hires gain swift access to essential training materials, policies, and procedures.

A crucial aspect of effective onboarding is assigning each new hire a mentor or buddy for support. This not only helps them feel more connected to the team but also provides a sense of security throughout the onboarding process. Thanks to Guru's knowledge-sharing capabilities, connecting with mentors and peers becomes a breeze, fostering a positive company culture.

Why is onboarding important?

The onboarding process forms the cornerstone of a new hire's entire experience with your company. Equipping them with the tools and knowledge to thrive in their role contributes to happier employees who are more likely to stay for the long term. This translates into improved employee retention rates, heightened productivity, and substantial cost savings for your company. As Amy Hirsh Robinson, principal of the consulting firm The Interchange Group in Los Angeles, put it, "Onboarding is a magic moment when new employees decide to stay engaged or become disengaged." It's incredibly important to get right.

What are the 4 C’s of employee onboarding?

Employee onboarding is a key component of any successful business, as it helps to ensure that new hires have everything they need to succeed in their roles. One way to maximize the effectiveness of employee onboarding is by following the “4 C’s” model. This model focuses on four key elements: Communication, Culture, Compliance, and Capacity.

Compliance

Compliance is the process of making sure your new employee meets all the legal requirements necessary to work for you. This includes background checks, tax forms, and any other paperwork or processes that need to be completed in order for them to become an official part of your organization.

Clarification

Clarification is the process of making sure your new employee understands their job role, expectations, and any policies or procedures that need to be adhered to. This includes orientation sessions, company training courses, and other activities designed to ensure the new hire is aware of all pertinent information before they begin working.

Culture

Culture is the process of introducing your new employee to the culture and values of your organization. This includes team-building activities, team outings, and other activities designed to make sure they feel accepted as part of the workforce.

Connection

Connection is the process of making sure your new employee feels connected to their coworkers. This includes providing a mentor or sponsor, hosting social events, and other activities designed to help the new hire form relationships with their colleagues.

The 4 phases of the employee onboarding process

Phase 1: Pre-onboarding 

Pre-onboarding is the process of getting new employees acclimated to the company before their first day of work. Pre-onboarding can include offering the position, sending an acceptance letter, sharing what to expect (or bring) on the first day, and providing information about the company culture. By taking care of these things ahead of time, you can help new employees feel more comfortable and prepared for their first day on the job. Pre-onboarding is a great way to make a good impression on new hires and set them up for success at your company.

Warm welcome package

Who doesn’t like a little box of company swag on their first day? According to QZ, tokens of appreciation like these can go a long way to helping  employees feel connected. Some branded t-shirts, a few trinkets that reflect your company’s culture, and a greeting card from the team gets day one off to the right start. If you’re remote, ship a welcome package along with other WFH materials to their door! This extra touch will make even distributed team members feel closer to their co-workers and create a great first employee experience.

Prepare them for their first day

Day 1 can be a daunting experience for any new hire. To help them (and you) prepare, there are a few important documents they should bring with them: HR paperwork, identification, and payroll information. HR paperwork includes things like their offer letter, job description, and employee handbook. They'll need identification to fill out the necessary forms, and payroll information so they know when they'll be getting their first paycheck. If they have any questions beforehand, provide them with your contact information so they can reach out. By being prepared ahead of time, you'll help make their transition into the company as smooth as possible. 

Phase 2: Introductions

Starting a new job can be overwhelming, especially if you don't know anyone at the company. That's why it's important for managers and colleagues to take the time to introduce new employees to everyone they'll be working with. Introductions help new employees feel welcome and comfortable, and they can provide valuable information about the company culture and expectations. In addition, introductions help to build relationships and trust, which are essential for effective teamwork. By taking the time to introduce new employees to their colleagues, managers and co-workers can help them get off to a great start at their new job.

Send out an announcement

Remind the staff that someone new has joined the team! Find a template for people to share out their life stories, fun facts, and preferred working styles. Onboarding isn’t all about company policies and tax papers, it’s about getting to know the people you’ll be working alongside. Open up a space for your new hire to connect with their colleagues and find common interests! 

Set up tours, social time, and introductions

If you’re operating in an office, start things off with a tour to let new hires get acquainted with the space. This is a great time to introduce your new hire to interdepartmental coworkers and provide them with any keys or access codes that they may need for the building.

If you’re in a remote setting, don’t skimp out on the ‘office tour’! Get all your team members onto an orientation Zoom call on their new team member's first day, keep it to a casual first day coffee and chit chat to make your new coworkers feel comfortable and excited about the prospect of working with this team. Sharing photos and welcome videos of the team, the company HQ, or past bonding events is a great way to show your new hire what your company culture is all about.

Share policies, values, and guidelines with an employee handbook

An employee handbook is a document that outlines the policies, values and guidelines of a company. It is an important tool for communicating with employees and ensuring that everyone is on the same page. A well-written employee handbook can help to improve morale and reduce turnover, as well as providing a reference point for resolving disputes. It can also make clear what kinds of expectations a team member should have for their overall employee experience.

A handbook should be clear and concise, and should cover topics such as attendance, dress code, harassment, and workplace safety. In addition, the handbook should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to ensure that it remains relevant.

​

{{cta}}

Phase 3: Settling in

Starting a new job is exciting and stressful all at the same time. As a manager, you’re a coach, so lean into that part of your role by helping new hires settle in quickly so they can hit the ground running and be successful from the start. This not only helps reduce friction with existing employees, it lowers the chance that your new hire will regret taking the job and makes it easier to "fit in" right away.

Match new employees with an onboarding buddy

Setting up new hires with a point person to guide them through their first few weeks and months helps to ease the transition. And although their manager is there for any questions that they may have, sometimes it feels more natural to raise the little questions and growing pains to a peer rather than a higher up.

Provide onboarding checklists and valuable resources 

Equip your new hires with the resources they need to excel and get up to speed in their role with our guide for creating an onboarding checklist. When onboarding a new employee, it’s important to create a personalized experience based on their role. The onboarding process for new hires in sales will look differently than those onboarding in HR or People Ops and having a structured onboarding that includes role specific resources will help keep your new employee engaged and on track.

Consolidate new hire resources into one searchable place 

Give new team members a clear place to start. A simple welcome email with a dense to-do list will only make your new hire’s first day feel more daunting. Instead, try utilizing a user-friendly employee onboarding software that stores everything from company policies, new hire paperwork, device setup info, various tools and logins, and every other part of your onboarding program in one searchable place.

Onboarding software that keeps information accessible even after the formal onboarding process is over will help your new employees feel confident in their roles faster in the short term and give them the flexibility to look back on those early learnings to keep productivity up in the long term.

Curious how Guru uses Guru for employee onboarding? Check out this post by Bobby Lundquist, Guru’s Lead People Operations Specialist.

Phase 4: Follow up 

Once you’ve established clear expectations for your new hire, it’s important to check in with your employee regularly to ensure a smooth transition into their new role. Maintaining consistency with how an employee is doing can help with any hiccups or confusion they may have along the way. Being actively involved in a new hires onboarding will show that you’re invested in their experience and can help establish trust, as well as increase performance and workforce retention. 

Establish a plan for review

Onboarding doesn't end after the first few weeks or months at a new job and check-ins shouldn't either. A 30-60-90 day plan is an important tool for any manager to have in their arsenal. This simple document can help to ensure that a new hire is focused and has a clear understanding of their goals and priorities. It can also be used to track the progress of a new hire, and to identify any areas where additional training may be needed. 

When creating a 30-60-90 day plan, be sure to include a mix of focus areas, goals, and priorities. For each focus area, identify one or two goals that you would like the new hire to achieve. Then, prioritize these goals by order of importance. Finally, establish metrics of success for each goal, so that you can track the new hire's progress. By taking the time to create a well-rounded 30-60-90 day plan, you can set your new hire up for success from day one.

Use Guru’s 30-60-90 day plan template to create a check in cadence with your new hire to get continuous, long term feedback about their onboarding experience and to ensure you're setting them up for long term success.

Onboarding process examples

Let’s look at three examples of effective onboarding processes:

1. Virtual Onboarding: Virtual onboarding typically involves a mix of online training sessions, video conferences, and other virtual resources. 這種入職方式對於遠程員工來說可以非常有效，因為它提供了他們所需的工具和資源，讓他們在不需要到辦公室的情況下開始工作。
2. 夥伴入職：這種入職方式涉及為新雇員分配一位導師或夥伴。 導師或夥伴通常是一位有經驗的員工，能夠在入職過程中提供指導和支持。 這種入職方式對於可能對開始新工作感到緊張的新員工尤其有效。
3. 經理主導的入職培訓：在這種類型的入職培訓中，新雇員的經理負責提供培訓和支持。 這種入職方式對於那些將與其經理或主管密切合作的員工來說可以有效。 它使新雇員能夠早早與其經理建立關係，並幫助他們感受到更強的團隊歸屬感。

不論入職過程如何，關鍵是確保新雇員在過程中感受到支持和參與。 透過提供清晰的溝通、必要資源的獲取及社區意識，組織能夠使新員工成功。 此外，使用像 Guru 這樣的解決方案可以幫助簡化入職過程，確保新雇員能夠獲取到成功所需的所有重要信息。

員工入職過程中的常見挑戰

我們大家都有過這樣的經歷：這是你上班的第一天，還有需要記住的名字，需要掌握的流程，需要學習的新程序，以及需要留下良好第一印象的機會。 這讓人感到不知所措，如果你在一個遠程環境中加入新公司，這種孤立感會更加明顯。

如果所有的入職資源和培訓分散在各種工具、電子郵件和一次性的Slack消息中，那麼壓力和孤立感很容易加劇。 投資於一款能夠整合新雇員需要的所有資料的 入職軟件 是一種極好的方法，可以讓他們立即有力量感。 這是有意義的；那些有著負面新雇員入職體驗的人，將有 兩倍的可能性 在不久的將來尋求其他機會。 

生產力所需的時間很重要，但不要急於求成。 一篇 哈佛商業評論文章 指出最多有20%的員工流失發生在就業的前45天，而最成功的公司會花費一年時間完成新雇員的入職。

信息過載

當新雇員開始工作時，他們經常會受到大量信息和任務的轟炸。 這很容易導致信息過載，這會讓人感到壓力並阻礙他們在新角色中的表現。 然而，一個設計良好的員工入職過程可以幫助減輕這一問題。

一個員工入職過程預防信息過載的一種方式是將信息分解為可管理的小塊。 有效的入職程序將以結構化和合乎邏輯的順序提供必要的信息，而不是一次向新雇員提供一長串任務和信息。 這可以涉及提供被劃分為小而易消化部分的培訓材料，或以邏輯順序分配特定任務，幫助新雇員逐步建立其知識和技能。

角色不清晰

成功的員工入職過程的一個關鍵方面是確保新雇員對他們在組織內的角色和職責有清晰的理解。 這不僅包括基本的工作描述，還包括對他們的角色如何符合公司更大目標和願景的深入理解。 為實現這一目標，有效的入職程序應包括全面的培訓會議，讓新雇員充分理解其職責和期望。

除了培訓，還必須為新員工提供有效執行工作所需的工具。 這可能包括訪問公司軟件或硬件，有關相關政策和程序的信息，以及與關鍵團隊成員或利害關係人的聯繫。 

未執行特定角色的入職

重要的是要認識到，組織內的每個角色都是獨特的，並伴隨著自己的一套責任、技能和知識要求。 為了確保入職過程的有效性，計劃的一部分應針對新雇員的角色量身定制。 這可能包括提供專業培訓、分配角色特定的任務，或者將新雇員與其職責範圍內的關鍵利益相關者聯系起來。 

通過將入職體驗量身定制為新雇員的角色，公司可以幫助他們在新職位上更加自信和有能力，從而導致更順利的過渡和更快地融入團隊。 此外，提供角色特定的培訓和資源可以幫助員工變得更加高效，並更快地為組織的目標做出貢獻。

提供準確和最新的信息

在維護成功的入職過程中，確保新雇員所接收到的信息是最新和準確的至關重要。 過時的信息會導致困惑、挫折，最終影響工作的表現。 此外，不准確的信息可能會導致誤解和錯誤，這可能會對新雇員的工作和整個組織產生影響。

徵求回饋

這通常是一個被忽視的步驟，但這並不意味著從新雇員那裡徵求他們對體驗的反饋不重要。 首先，它提供了有關入職程序有效性的寶貴見解，有助於識別需要改進的領域。 其次，新雇員的反饋可以幫助組織及早識別潛在問題，防止問題變成後來的重大障礙。 最後，徵求反饋表明對員工參與和發展的承諾，這有助於建立積極的企業文化，提高整體員工滿意度。 通過主動尋求和使用新雇員的反饋，公司可以為未來的員工創造更有效和積極的入職體驗。

員工入職的成本

入職和培訓新雇員的實際 成本 大約是 2,000美元，對於小型企業 到超過 3,000美元，對於大型企業。 即使是最成功的公司也可能花費 幾個月的時間來全面入職新雇員，這意味著大多數新雇員在許多周內無法達到完全生產力。 

綜合來看，這些成本對底線有可量化的影響：新雇員（和調轉工作的人！） 可以減少總收入 介於1%到2.5%之間。 無論你公司的大小，這都是一個顯著的收入損失百分比，這是在過程中 改善你的業務。 

了解如何 降低培訓新雇員的平均成本.

入職過程中常見的問題

開始一份新工作可以既令人興奮又令人畏懼。 在需要學習和做這麼多事情的時候，常常會有很多問題。 這就是為什麼一個設計良好的入職過程是如此重要。 以下是入職過程中一些常見的問題。

• 我可以獲得哪些福利？
• 我應該穿什麼去工作？
• 我將如何接受培訓？
• 如果我有問題或困難，應該找誰？

什麼是入職工作流程？

入職工作流程是一系列新雇員在入職過程中經歷的結構化步驟和程序。 它通常包括新人培訓、職場訓練和在職學習的混合。 一個好的入職工作流程應該是全面的，涵蓋員工角色的所有方面和公司文化。 它也應根據員工的個體需求進行量身定制，因為並非所有新雇員的需求都是相同的。

通過 Guru，人力資源部門可以創建一個流暢且有效的入職工作流程，根據每位新員工的個別需求進行定制。 我們的人機智能搜索功能使尋找所需信息變得簡單，而知識共享能力讓新雇員能夠與導師和同事聯繫。

強大的入職過程是什麼？

一個強大的入職過程應該是全面的、引人入勝的並且支持的。 它應提供新雇員所需的所有工具和資源，以便他們在角色中充分發揮生產力，同時促進積極的公司文化。 使用Guru，人力資源部門可以創建一個全面的入職過程，涵蓋員工角色的所有方面，包括培訓、政策和程序。

人力資源在入職過程中扮演什麼角色？

人力資源在入職過程中扮演至關重要的角色，因為他們負責創建和實施入職工作流程。 通過使用Guru，人力資源部門可以輕鬆創建一個全面的入職過程，根據每位新雇員的個別需求進行定制，內容涵蓋員工角色的所有方面，並促進積極的公司文化。 透過Guru，新雇員可以感到支持和聯繫，同時人力資源可以簡化入職工作流程，減少錯誤風險，提高整體公司表現。