Do your clients have a well-designed onboarding process? If they don’t, they’re not alone. Most business owners have a lot of things on their plate. Therefore, onboarding isn’t always top of mind. In many organizations, it consists of a short orientation meeting, office tour, and then a stack of forms. Some new hires are lucky enough to get a welcome lunch. On the other hand, some show up to an incomplete workstation, or worse, a manager that forgot they were starting that day.
Small Businesses Benefit from Good Onboarding
Small businesses that formalize the onboarding workflow have much to gain. Certainly, a well-designed onboarding process has many benefits. First off, new hires feel valued and respected. Because of this, they have a positive attitude about their job right from the beginning. In addition, they are more likely to feel a sense of team unity. Success breeds success and the new employee becomes productive sooner than if they had participated in a haphazard onboarding process.
According to Robert Half, a strong onboarding process can increase retention by as much as 82%.
What activities are usually included in onboarding?
- Workplace tour
- Orientation
- Employee handbook review
- Time and attendance and payroll instructions
- Team introductions
- Benefits enrollment
Because onboarding is critical, small businesses are turning to software to improve the process. Onboarding software works like this: the administrator create a checklist for the new hire. The admin sends a welcome email to the new hire shortly after they accept the job offer. The email contains a link to a new hire onboarding portal. The portal contains all the forms the new hire needs to complete. They can read the employee handbook and sign off on it. They can compare benefits options and enroll in their plans. In addition, they enroll in the payroll system. The administrator monitors the new hire’s progress in their own dashboard. That way, they can send a reminder or step in to help if the employee hesitates on a step.
The advantages of digital onboarding
- New hires can complete the process in a comfortable setting at their own pace
- They can access the portal from a laptop, tablet or mobile phone
- They can discuss benefits options with a spouse or significant other
- New hires don’t feel pressured to complete it quickly because a supervisor is waiting
- It lightens the load on managers and HR staff
- Administrators can track progress in the system
Note: Employers are required by law to pay employees for time spent onboarding.
WorkforceHub automates onboarding with centralized document management, workflow checklist, electronic signature and a new hire portal. Administrators can easily edit documents and get the new hire registered in all necessary systems. The process is convenient, secure and organized. In addition, digital files save money and reduce environmental impact.
WorkforceHub also includes Timekeeping, Scheduling, PTO Management and Applicant Tracking. WorkforceHub was designed for busy employers who need to reduce cost-per-hire, streamline scheduling, automate time tracking, maintain regulatory compliance, and decrease labor costs.
We can get you up and running with WorkforceHub immediately. Contact us today to request a demo.
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