Author: Justyna Kosta?kowska
/ People & Culture Lead @
eStoreLabs
Onboarding aims to introduce the new employee to the most important elements of the organisation's identity, culture, and function. The goal of onboarding is not only to impart the necessary knowledge and skills but also to make it simple to understand and assimilate into the workplace so that new hires are ready to assume their responsibilities. Additionally, proper onboarding can provide even more benefits.
If it's prepared properly it can reduce stress and discomfort among newcomers. And it makes the employee feel that our company was a good choice. Furthermore, a positive initial impression reduces employee turnover and the costs associated with recruiting new staff.
Onboarding builds a feeling of belonging from day one. It helps employees develop a sense of affiliation with the company and fosters positive relationships and team dynamics.
A factor that contributes to employees' productivity is their sense of security. We achieve it by creating a comfortable and familiar work environment. The faster and better new employees become acquainted with their surroundings, the more secure they feel and the more productive they will be.
A well-designed onboarding process can help build a positive employer image in the market and inside the organisation.
Our golden rules for onboarding
- Pre-boarding -?we like to start our efforts even before a new employee's first day. We gather information and introduce them as new members of the team so that they feel we are waiting for them. Many of our employees have expressed appreciation for being given a detailed overview of their first day on the job.
- Be Ready and Prepared -?the first day can be overwhelming for new hires, so it's crucial to provide a welcoming and professional environment to help them transition. Avoiding chaos, lack of resources and scheduling issues can help prevent an overly stressful situation and make a good first impression.
- Presence of relevant people -?for newcomers, the most impactful and defining aspect of their job is their relationship with their colleagues and manager. It's ideal when this is a two-way relationship and when they are greeted by a team member or direct manager on their first day.
- It's good to have a buddy -?we like to make our new employees comfortable and assign them a buddy to dispel all sorts of doubts, which, as we know, are many at the beginning. In our case, we try to make sure it is someone from the same team at a similar level to help the newcomer get acclimatised, go for a coffee or lunch together, introduce other employees, or answer any questions relating to task performance.?
- More and faster does not mean better -?there is a lot of new information at the beginning and, although we would like to pass it all on to new employees straight away, doing it all at once can be overwhelming. We have learnt on the job that it is more effective and appreciated by employees to spread the training over time.
- The essentials first -?we believe it is crucial to know the company's values, culture, structure and key people to understand how it operates. That is why - before we share more detailed knowledge, we serve up a portion of our basics. Another way for a new employee to become quickly acclimated to new knowledge is to understand the duties and objectives they are expected to achieve in the first few months. That concludes our Day 2 lesson.
- Welcome Packs?- we take great pleasure in handing out welcome gifts, and there is no better sight for us than an eStoreLabs pen in the hands of our new employee eagerly filling out documents.
- Essential information available at our fingertips?- no matter how much time we spend studying, not all new material will be remembered. Hardly surprising! This is why having training materials such as audio recordings and handbooks that contain essential procedures and data is invaluable.
- Nothing is perfect, and there is always room for improvement -?Checking the opinions and impressions of an employee can bring many benefits to the process. The valuable tips gathered can help improve the onboarding's possible imperfections and make it more efficient in the future.?
The importance of onboarding cannot be overstated. It is vital to tailor the process to fit the unique needs and culture of the business. To assess and refine it over time. When done correctly, onboarding can play an integral role in the success of a business.
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