According to Gallup, “only 12% of U.S. employees say their company does a good job of onboarding.” In addition, 1 in 5 employees reported that either their most recent onboarding experience wasn’t done well, or that they received no onboarding at all!

Those numbers are pretty dismal. What would your employees say about your onboarding process? Would they have good things to say, or would you be with the majority of companies whose onboarding processes could use a little work?

Onboarding is crucial, because it sets the tone for your working relationship with your new employee. A successful onboarding process helps new employees integrate into their new job as well as your company’s culture. It introduces them to the skills and knowledge they’ll need for the job, and gives them a chance to meet their coworkers and get acquainted with how your company operates.

In a nutshell, onboarding helps make sure your new hires are ready to handle whatever comes at them in the course of doing their jobs.

A successful onboarding process is essential. Without it, your employee performance and retention are at stake. Read on to learn how to make your onboarding process smooth sailing for you and your new employees.

1. Onboarding Starts When a Candidate Accepts Your Offer

Contrary to what you might think, onboarding doesn’t start on the employee’s first day. It starts the day they accept your offer.

Before their start date, make sure to welcome your new employee. Keep in touch with them: send a “welcome to the team” email, invite them to the office for a group lunch, and so on.

Make sure to confirm specifics with them as well, such as the time you want them to arrive on day one, what to wear, where to park, building access codes, and what they should expect on their first day. Clearly communicating these details ahead of time will help prevent confusion and make the whole process less stressful for you and your new employee.

In addition, make their first day a little easier by sending them paperwork they can complete ahead of time. Though necessary, paperwork is arguably the most frustrating and time-consuming part of onboarding. The sooner you finish up the paperwork, the sooner you can get to the meat of the onboarding process.

2. Be Prepared for Your New Hire To Start

Nothing is more of a buzzkill than going to your first day on a new job and finding out the new company isn’t ready for you.

Make sure you’re ready for your new hire’s first day by:

Getting their desk ready
Setting up their computer
Gathering company documents they’ll need, like a handbook and job description
Have onboarding documents ready to go
Have a well-laid-out onboarding and training plan, as well as a solid plan for the first day

Managers, HR staff, and other current employees who will be involved in the onboarding process need to be prepared for the role they’ll play as well. They should be present, involved, and available throughout the onboarding journey.

3. Make a Plan for Onboarding and Training

Have a firm onboarding and training plan in place before your new hire’s first day.

This includes onboarding documents, a training plan, introductions to key staff members, and possibly assigning a mentor to help the new employee establish relationships and learn the unspoken rules of the workplace.

Make sure your onboarding process has a well-defined structure, lays out clear expectations for training and orientation, and provides a pace of learning that helps the new employee feel supported and prepared to do the job they were hired for.

4. Celebrate Your New Employee’s First Day!

An employee's first day sets the tone for their experience at your company. Make sure to create a warm and inviting environment so they feel welcome. The goal is to make sure your new employee knows you value their choice to work for your company.

Consider celebrating a new hire’s first day. This could be as simple as posting a sign at the front desk, sending a welcome letter from the team they'll be working with, posting a welcome message on your social media channels, or having a parade of employees stop by their desk throughout the day to welcome them. Or consider throwing a welcome party with a few refreshments during the lunch hour or coffee break.

And don’t forget about remote staff! Welcome them with a company-wide email blast or group message via your other team communication channels (and encourage your existing staff to send welcome messages as well). Post an announcement on social media as well.

You could even throw a brief virtual welcome party so the new hire can meet the people they’ll be working with. Or consider sending them a welcome package, including a few office supplies they’ll need, some company swag, a few handwritten notes from the team, and something to make their first day a little sweeter like some coffee and a treat.

5. Create Opportunities for New Staff To Connect With Existing Employees

Onboarding is all about making connections between your new employee and your company. Connecting them with the human element of your business is a crucial part of this. Meeting people, forming social ties, and receiving mentoring from their colleagues will help new hires feel supported and included.

Connecting your new hire with their colleagues should be a priority on day one. As you introduce them to your company structure, departments, and communication channels, introduce them to the people they’ll be working with as well.

Have your existing employees help with the training process too, so your new hire can get to know their colleagues while they get to know their new job. Send them to your top employees so they learn from the best.

Building connections like this will help your new employee gain a feeling of belonging and support and boost their sense of loyalty to your company.

6. Set Goals for Employee Development

The right professional development plan will help your new hire ease into their job, reduce job stress, and set them up for success in their new role.

During the onboarding process, go through their job description, duties, and expectations to dispel any confusion about what their responsibilities are. Going over policies and procedures can feel tedious, but it’s an essential part of successful onboarding.

Help them understand how their job fits into the organization’s overall mission and purpose and how their work connects to overarching company goals. Clarify the expectations of the position, explain your company’s big-picture goals, and determine some goals to work toward during their first few months.

From there, talk about professional development multiple times throughout the year (not just once a year during their review). Their success (and yours) depends on consistently setting clear objectives and following up on them.

7. Create a Regular Check-in Schedule

Onboarding should be an ongoing process…not just a one-day thing. It’s a journey, and it takes longer than you might think. In many cases, it can take a year for a new employee to reach peak performance.

Create a regular check-in schedule with your new hire to review their training, answer their questions, address items that need further review, and see how they are fitting in. This will help ensure they’re happy in their job and feel heard when they have questions or concerns.

Make Your Onboarding Process Smooth Sailing and Reap the Benefits

A robust onboarding process is a vital part of ensuring happy, productive employees who want to stay with your company long term. According to the same Gallup study we referenced earlier, “70% of employees who had exceptional onboarding experiences say they have ‘the best possible job.’”

In other words, don’t underestimate the value of your onboarding process. Where can you adjust your process to make it more effective?

Following these tips will help make your onboarding process smooth and effective so you can enjoy happier employees and improved retention. For more recruiting and hiring support, sign up for the Red Seat newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn.

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Offer Accepted: 7 Tips To Make Your Onboarding Process Smooth Sailing