Human resource professionals know that an effective onboarding process involves much more than simply hiring a new employee. Bringing in a valuable new member to your team that can be seamlessly integrated into your company culture can result in a more contented and productive employee.
Your company may have a standard onboarding process that helps to orient new hires, but the goal should be to integrate your company culture into the process in a seamless way. Your company’s mission and vision should be introduced early in the onboarding process so that candidates get a feel for the environment before they join the team. An effective onboarding process that incorporates your company’s culture can draw in high-quality candidates that will fit in with your staff.
With over three-quarters of new employees deciding whether they will stay with a company within the first six months, the onboarding process becomes an essential part of the hiring process. Immersing each candidate on an individual level in your company culture is critical. For example, if employee health and wellness is an integral part of your culture, you can include incentives in your onboarding process. Even something as simple as suggesting healthy alternatives for lunch orders right from the start can help set the right tone for new employees. Let’s take a look at a few ways that your onboarding process can help you to establish a strong connection to your company culture.
Start Early
The introduction to your company culture should begin during the interview process. Discussing your company mission should be a focal point while vetting your candidates. Offer letters should be personalized to each candidate to showcase your desire to integrate them as a valuable new team member.
Between the acceptance of a position and a start day, you can have your new hires complete much of their onboarding paperwork so that their first day can be spent meeting their new company team members. An in-depth new hire questionnaire can help both your HR department and other team members to learn more about each candidate before they join the company.
Keeping the channels of communication open between the hire and start date is an important part of the onboarding process. Invite your new hires to contact you with any questions or concerns about their new position. This type of support will help your candidate feel more comfortable as they join your team.
Set Expectations
From the first day on the job, your new employees need to be trained on the culture that they will become a part of. Introducing and going through real-life examples of the cultural expectations and company mission can help new hires start on the right foot.
Company literature is always essential, but it should remain a priority to introduce new hires to the benefits and resources provided to help maintain your company culture. For example, during an initial tour, showcasing your culture’s positive aspects like your daycare center or lounge facilities.
The outlines of your company culture and regulations should be discussed in detail. Let each new hire know what types of behaviors are encouraged or discouraged before they start their first day. Inviting new employees to ask questions about how you formed your mission and what your goals are can help them to form a better understanding of your culture.
Creating a Team Member
The onboarding process is designed to help new employees find a solid place within your company. A large part of a business’s identity is its culture, and empowering your new hires to find connections from their first day can help them integrate and find job satisfaction. A new hire questionnaire included in your onboarding package can help you and other team members to find common ground and make a connection.
In the first week, new hires should be encouraged to introduce themselves to all the members of their team along with management so that they can get a feel for your company structure. Particular attention should be made to make new hires feel comfortable and crucial in your culture. An initial celebration lunch that includes other team members is a great way to welcome your new hire. A setting that is away from the company office like a local restaurant can be the perfect venue for relaxed conversation that will help everyone get acquainted.
Company Resources
Not even the sharpest new employee is likely to remember everything from their first few days on the job. For companies that revolve around their established culture, giving new team members the right resources that they can reference when they have questions can help them to integrate.
Your company handbook is the right place to include in-depth explanations and examples of your company culture. Always include a broken down explanation of your company origin story and mission. Give each employee a formal copy of your handbook along with access to your mission statement and company information in an online format for easy viewing.
Use your experienced team members as a part of your onboarding process. Current employees that are an important contributors to your culture should be paired with new hires as an example of what is expected.
Long-Term Integration
Business industry studies have shown repeatedly over many decades that happy and satisfied employees are a benefit to any company. Job satisfaction should be a priority for any business owner that wants to encourage loyalty and investment to success.
A successful onboarding process goes beyond getting new employees oriented on their first day on the job. In most cases, it takes time for new team members to learn the job itself along with understanding the company hierarchy and culture.
Creating a strong company culture is achieved by a leading example. As in any career, employees can become complacent so a regular schedule of culture updates, classes and instruction are an important part of keeping employees on track.
In the first few months, a new hire should be welcomed into regular one-on-one meetings to learn how they are adjusting. This creates an opportunity to ensure that each new hire is adapting and participating in your company culture. Address any issues at this time and decide how well each candidate is settling in and whether or not further training is necessary.
For your team as a whole, ensuring that comments on your culture are present in the daily workspace will help you to create a strong environment. Team and company meetings provide many opportunities to showcase your goals, work within your ethics and maintain the culture that will make you successful.
Any business that fails to create a dedicated team through their HR efforts including onboarding can’t operate efficiently. Employees should feel as though their part in the company is critical and that they are a respected member of the team. Achieving the highest levels of job satisfaction, loyalty, and performance is critical to start each new hire off with a winning onboarding process. Employees that work hard for the company are a huge asset to any enterprise.
Creating an onboarding process that benefits new team members and contributes to your culture’s strength is a solid path to success. Integrating new employees into your culture can increase your productivity and team satisfaction creating a winning combination for the future.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
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