Getting a new employee up to speed is challenging. They need to figure out how to handle the various new processes and procedures, as well as how they can best fit into a new team and culture. There are a number of tricks that experts have used to help smooth the transition, ranging from digitizing paperwork to offering mentors or warm welcomes. To find out which ideas are favorites, we asked members from the Young Entrepreneur Council this question:
“What onboarding practice can you not imagine going without since you implemented?”
Must Have Onboarding Processes
Here’s what they had to say:
1. Hold a Candid Interview
“One thing we do that is unique to our process is have a candid interview. This is an interview where we ask questions that may feel out of character for a professional environment, but they teach us a lot about potential hires. Although some of the questions can have hilarious responses, many of them help us find out whether or not the hire is a good fit for our company culture.” ~ Blair Thomas, First American Merchant
2. Make Them Feel Comfortable
“Incorporating the new employee seamlessly into the team is a simple, yet crucial onboarding practice. When the new employee feels welcome and embraced, they are likely to communicate, ask questions, and give their input and ideas much sooner than if they feel like an outsider. Be personable, and make sure enough time is put aside to properly begin their onboarding process.” ~ Bryanne Lawless, BLND Public Relations
3. Create a Slack Room for New Employees
“Remote workers don’t have the same opportunities to bond as traditional employees, so a simple introduction is a great way to break the ice. We do this with Slack. While most new-hire bonding happens interdepartmentally, there are ways to facilitate relationships among people in other departments. We have a Slack room called #Welcome, where anyone can come and joke with or educate the new hire.” ~ Dave Nevogt, Hubstaff.com
4. Digitize the Paperwork Process
“Digitizing the entire onboarding paperwork process has been brilliant. It saves so much time and all the paperwork can be handled via email, which helps when I have so many remote employees. If everything could be signed digitally, it would be fantastic!” ~ Murray Newlands, Sighted
5. Mentor New Staff
“I love onboarding employees by apprenticing them under someone who is doing the sort of work they’re going to be doing. New employees left on their own can drift for about a week as they try to figure out all the questions they need to ask and who can answer them. This method gets people working and self-confident that they’re doing the work right in no time.” ~ Matt Doyle, Excel Builders
6. Provide Training Videos
“Having a way to share video about various aspects of the job has saved time, and those being onboarded love it because they can watch and act on it on their time. It speeds the process and engages the new hires.” ~ Angela Ruth, Due
7. Let New Hires Train Together First
“Our new team members go through a set onboarding program together before joining their designated team for role-specific training. Through this program, new employees can learn about big-picture topics, including company goals and product history. Employees leave with a better understanding of not just their role, but other roles and how they work together.” ~ Chuck Cohn, Varsity Tutors
8. Take the Time to ‘Wow’ Your New Hire
“First impressions are crucial. Take the time to “wow” your new employee. Make sure everything is prepared, such as desk, computer, logins and office supplies. Consider having a care package waiting on the desk. Things like company swag or a card welcoming the new-hire can go a long way in making the person feel comfortable. Create a checklist of what to prepare, and follow it every time you hire.” ~ Kyle Goguen, Pawstruck
9. Dedicate Paid Time for Them to Read the SOP
“Our team members are continuously updating our standard operating procedures. This practice ensures that our documentation is up to date and provides a resource for new hires to quickly learn every aspect of the business. We pay new employees to read all of our documentation during the first week on the job. This gets them familiar with the tone of the company and eases their way into onboarding.” ~ Diego Orjuela, Cables & Sensors
10. Hold a One-on-One to Discuss Values
“It is extremely important that our new employees undergo a thorough one-on-one orientation that informs them about our company’s core values and what is expected of them. I have found this process to be most helpful, as it gives our new employees a better sense of our company culture. If a new employee understands our core values, they will thrive with us, because we give the tools to succeed!” ~ Duran Inci, Optimum7
11. Ask About Communication Styles
“Everyone has different preferences for internal communication, whether it’s questions, feedback or new tasks from coworkers. We ask all new hires whether they prefer email, chat, in-person, and when they want to be in “do not disturb” mode so they can work withoutinterruptions. This makes a huge difference in preventing misunderstandings and increasing efficiency and happiness for everyone.” ~ Roger Lee, Captain401
12. Discover Personalities
“I love to ask for personality results so I know how to handle them, and I can easily refer to it whenever we have issues. On the other hand, I also send them my own personality results to let them know what kind of person I am and what my expectations are.” ~ Daisy Jing, Banish
13. Hold Monthly Coffee Meetings With New Hires
“As the company grows, it’s important to share our culture with the new employees. Therefore, senior leadership has a monthly group coffee or meeting with the new employees. In this informal session, the new employees can ask us questions, get to know the executives and feel part of the team. It also gives the leadership a chance to know these new employees who may work in different departments.” ~ Adelyn Zhou, TOPBOTS
14. Give Them the Tour and Introduce Them
“Whenever I get this question from a new client I always advise them to make a company introduction and tour. It’s a great way to highlight the new employee and help them break the ice with their colleagues. Always guide them around and give them a tour and introductions.” ~ Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now
15. Create a 30-, 60- and 90-Day Plan
“A detailed strategy for each new hire’s first three months on the job is vital in making sure new hires transition well to company tools, processes, and expectations and understand their responsibilities. The plan should be specific with clear goals, dates, and who to work with to accomplish each goal. This has helped our team increase new staff productivity and accountability from the get-go.” ~ Vincent Wong, mHelpDesk
New Hire Photo via Shutterstock
This article, "15 Onboarding Processes the Experts Can’t Imagine Going Without" was first published on Small Business Trends
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