What is new employee onboarding?
As defined by SHRM, new employee onboarding is the process of integrating a new employee with a company and its culture, as well as getting a new hire the tools and information needed to become a productive member of the team.
What does it really mean?
Onboarding is a way to help employees adjust to their new home and get excited about their job. Let’s face it, starting a new job is never easy. That is why employee onboarding is so important!
What are the goals of employee onboarding?
Phrasing it a different way, what are you trying to accomplish with your onboarding plan? Below are three main goals most companies consider when creating their onboarding plan.
Comfort – Make your new teammates feel welcome
When starting a new role, it is important for new employees to feel comfortable with their new company. Not only will they need to relate and enjoy their new colleagues, but also need to better understand the company culture at large.
Understanding – Help new employees learn your company’s processes and tools
Let’s be real, your new employees are not going to absorb everything about the company in their 1-2 week onboarding session. Therefore, it is key to focus on a few, important things. For example, does your company have a specific way of recording timesheets? Or, is there a specific way to format calendar invites?
These small but important things are key to teach during your onboarding session!
Excitement – Get these new hires hyped about your company
Finally, it is important to get your new employees excited about the company. There is nothing worse than starting a new job and realizing the company doesn’t seem very fun. On the flip side, there is nothing better than to be blown away by an amazing onboarding.
As a part of this excitement, we have seen swag play a huge role in getting employees excited about the company. You pay enough to hire a new employee, why not spend a little extra and make them want to stay!
Looking for ideas? Checkout this article on why a swag store may be right for you!
What are the key aspects of employee onboarding?
Below we outline several aspects of employee onboarding that are critical to providing a good experience for your new hires.
Executive welcome
Is it really worth our time having executives from various departments attend an onboarding session?
Yes.
The executive welcome helps set the stage for the rest of your employee’s time at the company. Would you be willing to put in long hours on difficult projects if you didn’t feel management cared about you? That is why, even if brief, these executive welcomes are important.
Administrative activities
The reality is that onboarding has a lot of administrative activities, like verifying your identity, providing access to systems, and reviewing the companies core values. The most important piece here is to make this fun! Consider breaking up the admin work with fun activities or networking sessions.
Role specific training
Another element of employee onboarding is role specific training. This type of training is often performed by the employee’s manager or peer. This is where the new hire learns the nitty gritty of their job.
Although HR does not play a big role, it is important for you to consider and help facilitate these sessions.
Company swag and excitement
The final aspect of the training is to get your employees excited about the company. What is better than providing your new employee a gift card to the company store and letting them select any product they would like? Providing some swag and excitement is key to wrapping up the new employee onboarding process.
What are employee onboarding expectations?
Over the past few years, many employers have realized that the employee experience is very important. Onboarding is their first impression. Below are some key things that employees expect throughout this experience.
Clear onboarding schedule
There is nothing worse than starting off on your first day and having nothing to do. To be successful, companies need to have the first week or two well defined. This should include activities, meetings, and events all pre-booked in their calendar.
Easy technology set-up
Most employees expect their employer to understand and use technology well. A sloppy, drawn out technology experience can leave employees questioning the future of their new employer in the technology age.
High employee moral
Who wants to join a company, quickly to realize everyone hates their job? Would you want to attend your first “meet and greet” with a person who is not interested in speaking with you? Making sure your employees meet other who love the company is key.
Company swag
At this point, employees expect to be decked out in company swag when they join. This small, but important gesture helps new members feel part of the “tribe” that is your company.
Looking for an easy and effective way to manage swag? Checkout Museema swag stores!
There are also some awesome swag ideas you can find in our article “14 Amazing Company Swag Ideas + Much More“.