While starting a new job, regardless of the experience, skills, or knowledge, can be daunting to a new employee, it is always a risk for the employer until the newcomer proves himself or herself.
In today’s fiercely competitive business environment, hiring the right talent is only half the battle won. The real challenge lies in successfully integrating new employees into the organisation to obtain optimum performance.
This integration, the process known as “onboarding”, although neglected often by employers, plays an exceedingly important role in shaping a new employee’s views and beliefs, engagement, commitment, and team culture of the organisation. A well-planned onboarding program can improve retention, boost performance, and reinforce the organisational culture.
In simple terms, onboarding involves getting new employees to settle and familiarise themselves with their duties and prevailing business lines, getting to know colleagues, and understanding the rules, regulations, and practices of the new organisation.
In technical terms, employee onboarding is a strategised process that begins when an employee accepts the job. The process can last a few weeks or months of employment depending on multiple factors.
Serious journey
It covers everything from administrative tasks to cultural integration, training, and building relationships within the organisation. Onboarding is not a single event by any means; it is a serious journey that determines how quickly and effectively a new hire can become a productive team member.
It is universally known that recruiting is a time-consuming, costly, and lacklustre process. When a candidate is selected and recruited, the employer is unaware of the real working capacity of the candidate. The onboarding process is the bridge between the recruitment of an employee and complete integration into the organisation.
A well-executed onboarding process ensures that the time, effort, and resources invested in hiring the right candidate are not wasted. A planned onboarding process can ensure productive contribution when the new employees are given the tools, knowledge, and encouragement they need to perform efficiently.
Time and again, research has shown that employees who were given proper onboarding guidance remain in the organisation for long periods of time. One of the key tasks of this procedure is to make the recruit feel welcomed, valued, and accepted as equals. When they experience warmth on the first day of work, they are more likely to be emotionally engaged in their work.
The onboarding process has a direct impact on reducing employee turnover. Employees are more likely to misunderstand the organisation and colleagues if they feel that they are not welcomed.
A proper introduction to the work environment can eliminate this misconception. Not only can the employer slash the cost of recruitment and training, but also the lost productivity due to turnover can be reduced substantially if the new employees are given proper starting guidance.
This can also build a strong foundation from the start.
A good onboarding program helps sustain the culture, values, communication flow, and decision-making. Successful organisations extend their attention to good onboarding strategies to help newcomers to understand and adjust themselves to organisational norms that lead to unity in the workplace.
Compliance of new employees from day one of their jobs protects a business. The compliance training given to employees during the onboarding can set a positive mood for their oncoming experience of the workplace. They begin to understand the general conduct expected by others and how to communicate with superiors, colleagues, or subordinates, and so forth.
A considerable percentage of individuals who accept new jobs are unaware of the exact job-related duties to perform effectively. The onboarding process is an avenue to provide answers to big questions, clarify basic expectations, and address uncertainties before they can alter productivity barriers and safety concerns.
Emotional connection
The onboarding process cultivates teamwork spirit in the organisation and builds solid and lasting foundations with the leaders. Leaders can help new employees to get accustomed to the workplace by emotionally connecting with new recruits. Managers can pass down knowledge to new employees who will be motivated to pursue better positions within the organisation that can reduce turnover successfully.
There are several components in the onboarding process. The key component is to set up the onboarding process before the recruitment. It should be ready for implementation before the selected candidate takes over the job.
This pre-boarding stage includes sending a welcome message, informing them what to do on the first day, and keeping all required documents at the time of arrival. Providing access to company materials, an employee handbook, or induction videos can reduce anxiety and make the employee feel prepared and connected.
Also, an orientation program is a necessity on the first day or within a few days of taking over, depending on the length of the content. This introduces employees to company policies, organisational structure, and workplace facilities.
This program can cover essential aspects such as extra benefits, HR procedures, safety protocols, and other rules and regulations of the workplace. This can lay the groundwork for the recruit to perform smoothly.
Onboarding covers job-specific training. This includes role-specific training, performance expectations, use of tools or software, and common goals. Structured learning plans, mentoring, and regular feedback help new employees build confidence and competence.
Maintaining team spirit is one of the important aspects of organisational success. Building the best possible workplace environment by encouraging collaboration can immensely reduce feelings of isolation, particularly for a newcomer. One of the first tasks of orientation is to establish social integration. Meeting and greeting team spirit promotions, and assigning a specific colleague for the new recruit can help them feel part of the new community.
Usually, a good and well-organised onboarding program lasts several weeks or even runs into a few months, depending on multiple factors. Periodic check-ins help identify and address any concerns early. Managers should provide regular feedback, recognise accomplishments, and create opportunities for two-way communication.
While onboarding is an important aspect of HR, it can come across hindrances in practical application. The most common mistake is not planning pre-boarding and treating the process as a single-day event. Organisations must realise that onboarding is a journey, not a mere checklist.
Important criterion
Similarly, information overload too soon can lead to confusion and can be drastically counterproductive. Spacing out information and guidelines helps the newcomer to understand the job and the environment easily. Onboarding should reinforce values and clarify expected behaviour to ensure alignment from the beginning, a criterion mostly ignored by employers.
Employee onboarding strategy is far more important than a simple HR requirement and an administrative necessity. It is a process that determines whether a new employee fits into the organisation and contributes to the organisation as expected. By investing in structured and personalised onboarding processes, organisations can transform new employees into confident, committed contributors who drive long-term success.
