How to Onboard an Employee: 3 Crucial Steps

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When most people think of onboarding, they think of paperwork, mandatory training sessions, and small talk. However, the onboarding process is much more than a formality for a new hire—it’s the first impression of the company.

If an employee isn’t shown the ropes, given information, or properly welcomed, then they won’t feel a reason to stay. Nobody wants to feel clueless or unintelligent in a job position, nor does anybody want to feel unwelcome. Instead, they’d rather leave.

Weak onboarding not only hurts the employee but also the company. Losing employees affects the longevity of the company, if an employee ends up leaving their position because of bad onboarding procedures, then the organization just wasted a lot of time going through the hiring process and bringing on someone new. Unless companies fix the way they onboard, then they will just keep unproductively cycling through employees.

Here are three steps for onboarding success:

1. Send a Welcome Message

You should want the new hire to feel welcome right off the bat. For the company as a whole, a quick email is a great option. However, the employee’s individual team or department should do something a little more personal. If you were involved in the employee’s interview process, maybe single out a trait they displayed that could serve them well in the position.

Current employees and managers should also show the employee around the office. Make sure they know where everything is, from bathrooms to vending machines. By establishing that the team is friendly and accessible, the employee will feel less nervous, and most importantly, cared about.

2. Provide Resources

Starting a new job can lead to information overload. While they are getting their feet wet, act as a guide. Point the new hire to formal and informal resources. If the employee is starting a position you are familiar with, consider offering advice based on your experiences, or establishing someone as a good reference point for the position.  Any sort of useful tool to help an employee feel more prepared is worth sharing. Employees should also share the company’s mission with the new hire, so they are exposed to the goals of the office.

3. Be Available

Transitioning to a new company is a process. Just because someone has filled out the paperwork and is sitting at a desk doesn’t mean they feel at ease. Make it clear that you care about them and their success. Check back in periodically to make sure they are doing alright.

You should treat the new employee as you would want to be treated yourself. So based upon your previous experience—what you liked and what you didn’t like—that’s how you need to treat a new employee who’s coming into the organization alongside you.

See the original and full article at www.techrepublic.com By