Onboarding New Employees: A Step-by-Step Guide for Employers

What is onboarding?

You might be asking yourself, what exactly is onboarding?

The onboarding process is usually a joint effort between the hiring manager and the Human Resources team and starts several weeks before your new employee’s first day on the job. Onboarding can involve:

getting the new employee set up on your company’s IT system
setting up an email account for them
notifying existing staff about them
organising their induction or training
making sure all legal documents are signed
personally welcoming them on their first day
ensuring their workstation is ready
providing them with any relevant manuals or guidelines

Why is onboarding important?

An effective employee onboarding system not only ensures that new starters are seamlessly integrated into your company culture, but also gives them access to the tools they need to perform their duties. A well-thought-out onboarding process can help the employer to increase efficiency and reduce staff churn rates while providing a more satisfying work environment for new employees.

According to Gallup studies, the onboarding process is a key element when it comes to employee retention. A staggering 50% of employees leave within their first 18 months of employment! At the same time, only 12% of employees reported that their employer provided a great onboarding experience. A streamlined onboarding process can therefore easily be a very effective tool to counteract this trend.

Timeline for successful employee onboarding

Bringing a new employee on board takes a lot of preparation. In fact, the onboarding process starts quite some time before your new hire first sets foot on your premises to start their job.

5 stages of onboarding

The following five stages outline a suggested timeline for the onboarding process to follow:

Stage 1: Admin and paperwork

When? Immediately after the contract is signed

As soon as you or the HR team hold the signed employment contract in your hands, make payroll aware of the new staff member and notify them of their start date to ensure the payroll formalities can get underway. Any other paperwork or administrative tasks related to the new hire also need to be completed at this stage. This may include storing copies of any relevant licences and permits the employee needs to perform their role.

If your company doesn’t have employee onboarding software in place, it may be worthwhile investing in such a program to make it easier for you and HR to keep track of all steps of the process. Employee onboarding software can make communication easier and effortlessly keeps all parties involved in the hiring and onboarding process on the same page without them needing to send dozens of emails back and forth. An alternative to onboarding software could be a checklist with shared access stored on the corporate intranet.

This is a time of uncertainty for your new employee, so communicate clearly and keep them up to date on the process at all times. Any lack of communication or misinformation at this stage could adversely affect their opinion of your company. But if everything goes smoothly and they feel supported from the outset, they’ll be confident and excited about joining your team.

Stage 2: Workplace preparation and IT set-up

When? Two weeks prior to the start date

Choose a workplace for the new staff member and get the ball rolling with your IT team to make sure their email account and all software logins are functional on the new team member’s first day. There is no worse experience for a new employee than excitedly starting a new role and sitting down at their new computer, keen to get going, only to find that they can’t sign in or send emails yet. Also have their key card ready so they can get back into the building on day two!

If you need to order any devices or special equipment for their job, this is the time to do so in order to allow it all to arrive and be set up in good time. This could be anything from mobile phones to laptops or clothing and special devices they may need to perform their duties.

Stage 3: Welcome pack and announcement

When? One week prior to the start date

One week before your new team member is scheduled to start, send them an email with a welcome pack, an employee handbook and any information on the induction or training you may have scheduled for them. It’s also a nice gesture to send them some company products such as a team polo shirt, a company mug, or a pen and notebook in the post before they start. It’s the little things that make all the difference in how you are perceived as an employer!

At this stage, you should also announce the new starter to your team, especially if they are a key employee. Let people in your company know who will be starting and when, and what role they will be taking on. You can mention this at a team meeting, send an email, or, ideally, both. Here, too, communication is important to keep everyone on the same page. Plus, if you provide a little background information on the new employee, your existing staff will feel more at ease and have a starting point for initiating conversation with their new peer.

Stage 4: Welcome and training

When? First week on the job

This is perhaps the most important stage of the onboarding process. Make your new starter feel welcome! It can be a good idea to pair them up with a mentor to take them on a tour of the facilities and show them the ropes. You may also want to organise a joint morning tea or team lunch to officially welcome your new staff member.

On their first day, they should also commence their induction to learn all about the company and what is expected of them. Make sure they know who to approach for help and are familiar with the basics like your company’s dress code. If you haven’t sent them any documentation such as an employee handbook or other manuals beforehand, this is the time when you should provide them with copies of these important materials.

Next comes role-specific training to teach the new starter all they need to know about their new position. This will make them feel at ease and give them the necessary confidence to thrive and perform well. Training can be formal as well as informal, or a combination of both. Many companies also provide a range of self-paced online training courses for new employees to get them up to speed with the ins and outs of their industry and organisation.

Stage 5: Follow-up and review

When? Two to four weeks after the start date

Once your new employee has had the opportunity to complete their training and work on the job for a week or two, it’s time for your first check-in. Set up a time and date for a short review where you can find out how they are going. This also gives them the opportunity to raise any concerns or questions that may have arisen.

Checking in with a new staff member at this stage will demonstrate that you care about their well-being and development. It goes without saying that you should take action and address the employee’s concerns as promptly as possible. Make any adjustments based on their feedback as appropriate, and arrange further training if needed.

Onboarding is an essential process in any company that has to be managed carefully to help your new hires adapt to your organisation’s corporate culture, work environment and values. If any of the steps of onboarding are neglected, you’ll increase the risk of a high turnover rate among new hires, causing you to waste time, effort and expenses.

Refer back to this guide as needed for insights into the different stages of onboarding to help your new employees adapt to their roles and environment.

Read more: Visit our Hiring Resources for Employers page for comprehensive guides on many other recruitment and employee management topics.