5 Tips For Onboarding a New Employee

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5 Tips For Onboarding a New Employee - Pinnacle Job RecruitersThe onboarding process is a learning experience for you and your new employee.

Onboarding ought to be easy. With advancements in HR practices and training technologies, bringing on a new employee should be simple. Unfortunately, the process of integrating new hires into a company can seem time consuming and laborious.

Too many companies feel overwhelmed by onboarding processes because they have narrow views on the practice. The common mistake  made is when a company thinks onboarding is one-sided, or that the initiation process exists for the sole purposes of teaching a new hire about the company and how he or she can be most productive within an established system.

By shifting the view of onboarding from a one-sided time of training to a mutual learning experience, companies can create an excellent initiation period, and acquire a fresh perspective on their unique business culture.

5 Tips for Onboarding a New Employee

1)      Be prepared for your new employee’s first day.

      • Be sure to have the new employee’s job description, as well as the expectations of his or her position on paper. Also included should be company procedures and guidelines.
      • If paperwork needs to be filled out, have it prepared beforehand.
      • Have the individual’s work area clean so he or she can move into the space immediately.

2)      Give the new employee time to meet his or her coworkers.

      • After giving your new hire a tour of the office and brief introduction to the team, it is always a good idea to allow your employees time to mix and mingle so the new employee feels comfortable associating with everyone.
      • Set aside additional time to introduce the individual to those whom he or she will be working with closely. Preparing a structured activity can be a productive way to “break the ice”.

3)      Think beyond your new employee’s first day; have a plan for week one.

      • Adjusting to a new job takes time. Having constructive tasks for the individual to accomplish throughout the week will allow him or her to feel like a contributing member of the team. It will also help him or her to not feel overwhelmed, or as if there is not enough work to do.
      • Be intentional in carving out time from your schedule to check in with your new employee and ask what he or she may need help with.
      • Make sure the new hire knows that his or her colleagues and superiors are available to answer questions and offer assistance at any time.

4)      One size does not fit all when it comes to onboarding; every new employee learns in different ways.

      • Use the first week to better understand the new hire by identifying his or her areas of strength and learning style. Once arriving at this, determining the best training method will be simple.
      • Be generous when offering praise when tasks are accomplished correctly.

5)      Ask for feedback from your new employee.

      • Asking how you and the company are doing can make the new hire feel like he or she is a valued member of the team.
      • The individual may see the opportunity to offer feedback as a way to influence, and take ownership in company progress.
      • This information is crucial to understanding how you can improve your onboarding strategy in the future.

Taking time to integrate new hires offers you a chance to influence company culture, advance business growth, and enhance product or service quality. Choose to make the onboarding process a mutually beneficial experience for all parties involved.

Onboarding offers an opportunity to make crucial changes in the workplace and learn something new. With every new employee, look at the company from his or her point of view. You’ll be amazed at what this perspective can do.

What do you do to provide a great onboarding experience?

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