Onboarding your new employee starts as soon as you have a signed contract. As the last part of the hiring process, onboarding can sometimes be overlooked when it comes to planning. If you consider that 33% of new employees will decide within the first 30 days whether or not they wish to stay with an organization, you’ll quickly see that first impressions are important and onboarding is a key part of the recruitment process. 

Here are 10 tips to help you successfully onboard your new staff

  1. Plan ahead before you hire. You can expect the onboarding process to take at least 90 days, so create a schedule to keep everyone on track and so your new hire will know what to expect Remember to build in social engagements and time to help your new employee integrate with their team and the wider organization.
  2. Create an onboarding toolkit. While it takes a bit of investment up front, preparing an onboarding toolkit will prevent you from having to recreate the onboarding plan for each hire. While tweaks will be necessary, you won’t be starting from scratch. This not only saves time, but also can be a life saver when you only hire intermittently and the onboarding process may not be as fresh in your memory.
  3. Make the most of the “pre-boarding” time. This is the period between when a candidate accepts the position and their first day of work. Include a personal welcome, ideally from the leader of the organization and the new employee’s manager and team members. This can be a great time to send documents such as the employee handbook, code of conduct, and compliance or HR paperwork, so you can spend the first day on important social interactions, as opposed to routine paperwork.
  4. Create a welcoming experience on the first day. Prior to their first day, clearly communicate expectations and logistics, including their hours of work, where to park, and dress code. Ensure their workspace is set up and includes the tools they need – decorating the office or including some organizational swag can be a nice welcome touch. Plan for a coffee chat in the morning and perhaps a team lunch in the afternoon. If you are working in-person, provide a tour where you can orient them to break rooms, washrooms, and make introductions.
  5. Assign a buddy. Ensure the new hire is paired up with an engaged staff member who can help them find what they need and answer their questions, especially about organizational culture. A good option is a veteran staff member who has strong institutional knowledge – just be sure this person has time and capacity built into their schedule to accommodate this role.
  6. Plan one-to-one meetings. Create a recurring meeting with the new employee so there is always a check-in opportunity for you both. Use an agenda to keep the time focused and try asking open ended questions to give your employee an opportunity to clarify anything that might be confusing to them.
  7. Don’t overwhelm your new hire. The goal of onboarding is to integrate your new hire into your organization quickly and effectively – but this doesn’t mean overwhelming them with everything in their first week. Build in time for the new employee to pause and absorb what they are learning. Reflection exercises can also be helpful, including a quick, bulleted list of what they learned or accomplished that day.
  8. Provide effective feedback. Particularly during this time, consider offering frequent feedback that focuses on concrete examples. This is important, as you’ll want to address any concerns early on. It is also essential to provide frequent positive feedback that is clear and concrete.
  9. Formally recognize the end of the probationary period. Remember, a probationary period can be a time of stress for new staff, so make sure to mark it when it has passed. Book a special meeting to reflect on the past 90 days and to gather their feedback on what is working well and where things could be improved. Don’t forget to celebrate this milestone as well!
  10. Don’t overlook social integration for remote employees. The onboarding process will need to be tweaked somewhat for remote employees. In particular, you’ll need to be even more intentional about scheduling social time between your new hire and the rest of the team. Schedule one-to-one times for them to meet, and then build in additional time for “watercooler” chats. Consider bringing the team together for in-person meet ups on occasion, where possible.

Ready to create a positive onboarding experience for your new hires? Our online course, Effectively Onboarding New Staff and Volunteers, outlines the process from start to finish and includes helpful resources to build your onboarding toolkit. Get more information and enroll today. 

The 2023 Recruitment Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Hiring Process guides you through the full hiring process, from figuring out what skills you need from your new employee to onboarding your new hire successfully. Download the Handbook now.