CHECKLIST FOR ONBOARDING ROCKSTARS

Far more than a “new hire orientation” where new employees are shown around the office and photographed an onboarding program is a comprehensive way to get new hires fully immersed. The process includes logistics, of course, but — more importantly — it involves showing your new team member the big picture to expedite broad understanding of high-level strategies, current projects, company culture and shared mission. It also jumpstarts familiarity with the people with whom he or she will be interacting.

To set the tone for a high level of engagement, it is critical to get the onboarding process just right. Every step should be met with an easy-going, pleasant confidence by everyone on the team. To pull this off, you have to be buttoned up and prepared — which is often especially challenging when you’re just coming off a weeks- or months-long interview process that likely interfered with your own productivity.

That’s why a checklist is key. We’ve created this extensive list of everything you should do to facilitate the kind of onboarding that will serve to let your new hire hit the ground running while fostering relationships along the way. It’s also a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy: employees who were onboarded effectively will pay it forward and do the same for their future hires because they know how well they were set up — and how great it felt. Your company will also build a strong reputation for employee engagement, which is never a bad thing.

Employees who were properly onboarded also have a much higher likelihood of staying, which keeps your recruiting costs low and productivity high.

Maren Hogan of Forbes reported that “Creating a structured onboarding programme is key. According to a study by the Wynhurst Group, when employees go through structured onboarding, they are 58% more likely to remain with the organisation after three years.”

Now that we’ve established how important it is to set a great tone right from the start, so new hires move through their learning curve as fast as possible, foster healthy relationships, remain happy and stay, let’s look at exactly what to do and when:

AS SOON AS NEW HIRE PAPERWORK HAS BEEN SIGNED:

1. Reach out to say how excited you are that they’ll be joining your team.
2. Go over parking and commuting options.
3. Let your new hire know when you’d like him/her to arrive.
4. Make sure he/she knows who to ask for upon arrival, and make sure that person is prepared to offer a warm welcome!

SOMETIME DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF EMPLOYMENT:

1. Host a small meeting or a 1-2-1 where you go over company history, mission and values.
2. Familiarise your new hire with leadership and introduce different departments.
3. Give an overview of the company structure, the function of specific teams and how your new hire might overlap/interact with each.
4. Have your new hire meet with HR to make sure all necessary paperwork has been completed and answer any questions about compensation.
5. Go over perks, protocol for holiday, sick days, etc.