I have heard that some organizations are using e-learning as a way to introduce new hires to their jobs and learning within the workplace (on-boarding). How does this work? What are the benefits?
Many organizations we have worked with have built what we call e-boarding programs for new hires, and found that it enables staff to “hit the ground running”. This is a newer trend in training and development, which introduces staff to this style of learning early and helps to promote a learning culture overall.
When setting this type of on-boarding, it is helpful to ensure that you use your own people as subject matter experts. Gather input from your staff about what they need to “hit the ground running” and to maintain momentum over time. Remember that the e-content cannot replace human contact and that building in opportunities to meet with everyone face to face, or for telecommuters via telephone or e-conference is still important to connecting a new hire to the organization.
Break out the information into segments: first week, first month, second month, and so on, to cover the time period of one year. Identify what your new hire needs to know immediately and over time. Build in testing to ensure your new hire is able to find and use the information needed to do their job and the requirements of interrelated roles.
Use organizational culture and competencies as well as job-specific needs as the focus for your e-boarding development, as this will help you build programs that are relevant to your people, their jobs and your organization. It will also help you build organizational strength.
Some of the information to build into your e-boarding system could include:
- an overview of the organization: history, vision, mission, values and philosophy
- organizational chart
- organizational strategy
- departmental strategy
- policies and procedures
- health & safety information
- compensation & benefits information
- technology orientation
- job description
- location of information
- technology & resources relevant to the job
- phone system and inhouse directory
- facility information (i.e. washrooms, lunchroom, parking, security access, etc)
- performance expectations
- interrelated roles and departments
Offering all of this information at one time can be overwhelming for anyone, let alone a new hire that is already nervous. Break out the information into segments in terms of importance to the role and timelines. Create a “table of contents” that acts as a guide for the new hire to understand what information is expected for them to cover and when. Laying out this information in this way helps a new hire understand what is required of them and when, easing the anxieties that are a natural part of taking on a new role.
An added benefit is you reduce paperwork by making this information available online. By having your inhouse forms available in a paperless format, you save time and also reduce paper waste.
When you use this e-learning format for new hires it’s also helpful to match each new employee with an in-house mentor. An in-house mentor can ensure that the new person stays on track and that any feedback regarding the e-boarding process is passed on. This will help you to continually improve the system and meet the needs of your staff. The mentor becomes responsible for integrating the new hire into the organization both socially and professionally, acting as a guide and support. Combining the e-boarding with an inhouse mentor helps your new hire integrate into the organization more quickly and more deeply.
Be sure to also build in feedback loops. Provide a venue for new employees to provide feedback about how the e-boarding system supports them to be more effective more quickly. Allow for constructive feedback to help improve the system.
In my experience, organizations that have revamped their new hire training and on-boarding process to an e-boarding platform have seen reduced turnover, increased engagement of new hires, and the rest of the team as well. A surprise for many who have initiated e-boarding is an increase in manager performance. As managers have had a large role in assisting to develop the programs, many have expressed a new appreciation for the importance of integrating a new hire into the organization. They develop an improved understanding about setting up a new employee for success and the impact it has on their ability to meet their departmental objectives.
Some people believe e-learning is cost-prohibitive. In reality, the cost savings of setting up an e-centre for introducing new hires to the workplace is quite high. After the initial investment, an e-boarding program can provide costs savings over time while improving the performance and engagement levels of your people. E-boarding makes staff development more affordable while driving organizational performance and reducing turnover.
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