The onboarding process that makes new employees fall in love with your business

It was the first day of my first internship at university. When I walked through the doors my boss told me to gave a brief 20-minute overview of the organization's structure, my role and my first assignment.

Then I found my cabin and got to work ... feeling both unprepared and frustrated.

Who was on my team? Wasn't I supposed to meet them? other interns and where were they? And what the culture really was like?

It was an internship, but nonetheless it quickly taught me the importance of integration.

Ultimately, your company's onboarding experience is the firstintroduction to the company by your employees.

If you don't implement a memorable and useful onboarding process that fully integrates new employees into your business, you risk higher turnover rates and less productive teams.

To make sure your new employees stay excited about your business and engaged in their roles long after the initial onboarding process, take a look at our onboarding checklist.

Integration checklist

An integration checklist is one of the easiest ways to make sure your onboarding process includes all the elements necessary to fully integrate new employees into your business. However, it's important to note that onboarding isn't universal - a junior copywriter will need different tools to be successful.t your business as a new marketing manager.

While the onboarding varies for each employee, there are a few things you should include for any new hire.

The following onboarding checklists are intended for managers or HR departments to use when helping a new employee integrate into the company. Of course, some tasks, such as necessary documents or required reading, will differ depending on the company or role.

Before day one

1. Gather the necessary documents (eg W-4, I-9 and insurance forms, direct deposit forms).
2. Have your new hire go through your company 's employee handbook and sign a non-disclosure agreement.
3. Prepare a workstation for your new recruit.
4. Gather the necessary tools, such as a computer, and / or access any required software.
5. Updateisposition of your new hire an email business.
6. Give your new hire all relevant reading material, including company-wide policies and procedures, an organizational chart and a description of their role, as well as the values, mission and culture (unless it's included in the employee handbook)

Before day one, you may also consider leaving a note on your new's desk employed to welcome him to the team. You may be able to share any branded material like a sweatshirt or mug as a welcome gift.

Also, consider sending an email to your new recruit, communicating with all team members and welcoming them to the team.

The first day

1. Provide your new employee with all the necessary information, such as your dress code, where they can park, at whatwhat time it should arrive and what it should bring.
2. Prepare your team in advance - let them know your new recruit is arriving so they can greet them when they arrive at their workstation.
3. Set aside time in your calendar team for a "Welcome " lunch for the new hire and let them know in advance.
4. Show your new employee around the office, including the bathrooms, kitchen and support desk.
5. Arrange a meeting between the manager (if it is you) and the new hire, so that the manager can introduce himself, explain how the department is structured and how it is typically go about it and respond to your questions.
6. Assign the new recruit a mentor and ask the mentor to schedule a time for lunch with the new recruit.

The first day will vary depending on how many new hires your business has at a time - a new oneHiring, of course, will require a different process than a group of 30.

However, it's important to keep your new hire busy and engaged. You don't want her to feel uncomfortable sitting at her desk waiting for instructions. You want to show that you took the time to plan a busy and productive day for her.

To keep the employee engaged and excited, you can offer her a "30 day plan" which may include:

• The names of the people you suggest contacting for lunch or coffee. These are likely people she will work closely with or people you think can offer her advice.
• Readings that will help her succeed in her new role - if she's on the new social media manager, maybe you can include some social media blog posts that you'd like to see. she reads.
• The manager's expectations for her first month (ie "I would like you to brainstorm and submit an idea for a video marketing campaign by the end of the month ").

In the first week

1. Consider asking both the new employee and the DiSC manager, s 'They haven't already - understanding work personalities can make meetings and projects easier.
2. In the early days, assign the first project to your new recruit. This will help her feel like a valuable asset to the team and allow her to become more comfortable in her role.
3. Make sure that all required documents are completed.
4. Review employee performance reviews and it's gone for the first month.
5. If necessary, set aside time to teach new employees how to use any new software.

AsAs a manager, it is essential to keep your schedule open if you are solely responsible for the integration of your new recruit into the new team. Take the time to think about individual lessons that you can put in place to acclimatize your new hire to your software or work processes.

Also, keep her updated on what's going on with the larger team. Ask if she would like to attend meetings that, while not directly relevant to her at the moment, might be of use to her as she grows in her role. It can also help them get a better idea of ​​what your team is up to and what kind of culture your department fosters.

Ultimately, it is essential that she understands not only her own role, but also how her role fits into the company as a whole.

For the first month

1. Organize meetingsweekly to give your new hire constructive criticism about their first dating assignments.
2. Provide her with additional reading material as you see fit - perhaps you suggest books related to her role or articles that you think will help her professional growth.
3. Check that she meets the appropriate people criteria and have lunch or coffee with the main members of the team
4. Ask the advice of new employees - s This is a large group, please provide the opportunity to complete an anonymous survey. If you only have one new hire, just ask her what she needs to be successful or what she wants the company to provide for her.
5. Host a team outing to help the new hire bond with the team - if dinner is hard to plan, consider having lunch with the team outside of the office.
6. Ask her mentor to check in with her.

During the first month, it 's important that your new recruit understands what is expected of them and who they can turn to for advice.

In addition, your new hire probably has particular preferences regarding the way he would like to be managed. After providing constructive feedback in each one-on-one meeting, ask her if she has any feedback for you as a manager.

Towards the end of the initial onboarding process, ask new employees to complete a survey regarding the onboarding process. Your HR team can use these suggestions to change the process for future employees.

Although we've only covered the first month, it's important to note studies have shown that companies that spend less than a month on the job integration are 9% less likely to gartheir first-year employees than companies with longer processes.

Your new employees need time to fully acclimatize to their roles and to the corporate culture. A good lead time is around one to three months minimum, but some companies choose to implement an onboarding process that lasts a full year.

Ultimately, a good onboarding process will take into consideration both what your team needs your new hire and what your new hire needs to be successful in their role. It may take flexibility and patience, but it's worth it if you can show your new hire that they are a valuable asset to your team. You can also adjust your strategies as you learn more about its strengths and weaknesses.

Editor's note: This article was originally published in January 2019 and has been updatedday to be complete.