We all know that onboarding a new staff member takes time, money and company resources. While hiring talented staff is absolutely essential for any successful organization, it takes a considerable amount of effort to get a new employee up to speed—no matter how good they are.
But what if there was a way to cut down on the time it takes to orient a new hire?
Enter onboarding: a growing trend in human resources designed to go beyond a simple first-day-on-the-job orientation. Onboarding is a way of getting new employees familiar with the company’s overall goals and their role within the organization as quickly as possible. Onboarding also generally includes support programs—such as assigning a new employee a company mentor—to help new hires as they embark on their first set of projects.
However, a big mistake many companies make as they plan their onboarding procedure is starting too late.
Onboarding shouldn’t begin on an employee’s first day. Rather, the most successful onboarding programs actually start during the recruitment and hiring process.
Think of recruitment and onboarding as an extension of your company’s brand.
You want to attract people that you think would be a good fit for your current team. You’re looking for a person who shares your organization’s core values. Someone who will easily understand the goals that you are all collectively working towards.
To this end, staffing experts often suggest beginning the recruitment process by providing a detailed description of your workplace and company culture. This might be found on a “careers” section on your company website, or perhaps in the job posting itself.
Giving interested professionals a clear snapshot of what your company stands for before they apply for the job is an ideal way to get the onboarding ball rolling. Providing this information ensures that by the time a candidate comes in for an interview, they’re already familiar with your organization and aware of what type of place they’re walking into. This approach is a great way to filter out any individuals that might not be productive in your workplace environment.
Once you’ve made the hire, another technique for expediting the onboarding process is to send any necessary paperwork along with your formal offer letter. It’s also advisable to send an employee handbook in advance so that new staff members aren’t completely overwhelmed during their initial day on the job.
Want to learn more about onboarding and recruitment strategies for your organization? Contact Employment Professionals Canada today!