Let’s talk onboarding. We already offered some general ideas about what to do when crafting your organization’s onboarding plan. Let’s get our hands dirty and review the top five most important onboarding practices.
Manager Welcome Letter: Onboarding does not, we repeat, does not begin on the first day of employment. If that’s when you start, you’re already behind. Hiring managers start the onboarding process by sending a welcome letter the moment they hear that they will have a new face in the office. The letter details how excited the company is to welcome the new person to the team and also offers answers to those important logistical questions that new employees always have. Where should they park or what public transportation is available? Who do they report to, at what time, and in what room or building? What should they do for lunch? What should they wear? These small details make a huge difference to a new employee anxious about starting a new job.
Lunch on the first day: Speaking of lunch, the hiring manager and/or members of the team should have lunch with new employees on the first day. It provides an informal setting to get to know one another and shows that time can and will be made for them. It also means that the new employees will not be left to fend for themselves that first day. Trust, this is important.
Weekly Meetings: In the beginning, especially the first thirty days of employment, managers need to make time each week to check in with new hires to discuss any questions or concerns they have. This allows the manager to see what is working, what needs work, and how the new employee is developing. It also lets the new employee know that someone cares about her and her performance.
Assign a “Buddy”: Assign a veteran member of the team to show newbies the ropes and answer the day-to-day questions. This person can also give a tour of the facilities, answer quick questions about how to log-in or clock out, and impart some institutional knowledge. Assigning a go-to person that is not the manager will help keep that new employees around for a long time.
Training Calendar: Part of our onboarding program for contact centers includes distributing a training calendar of the first 30 days at work detailing exactly what agents should be doing every hour of every day. This calendar shows new hires that your organization prepared for them and cares about their development. It also speeds up time to productivity. Agents can see their future and know exactly what training will be done, who will help them do it, and what is expected of them.
So there you have it. Onboarding consists of small actions that add up to helping a new employee feel like an old employee in no time.
Photo found at Realistic Shots.