[Interview] Onboarding as a key process to optimize HR management.

Onboarding is a key process when it comes to welcoming a new employee, and it can even become the first obstacle when deciding whether to integrate a new profile or not. Mainly, onboarding is a reflection of a company's culture, but how to make a good first impression and make the new team member come to stay? Aarón Cogolludo answers our questions.

See all software Human Resources (HR)

1- What are the consequences of inadequate onboarding?

Onboarding is a key process when it comes to welcoming a new employee so that he/she can incorporate, within a certain period of time, as many of the values, processes, methodology and culture of the new company as possible. In this sense, a bad implementation has a direct impact on the employee's performance and tasks, errors in the onboarding and the lack of fluid and effective communication throughout the process have repercussions on the results of the team that incorporates the new employee.

Therefore, the following are the key points to keep in mind during the first few weeks of employment:

It's the little things that count

Punctuality:

At the start of the workday, you should show respect for your new colleague by also arriving on time. It often happens that a new colleague arrives at the office on time, but the person assigned to help him or her is still in a meeting for a couple of hours longer. To save your new colleagues the typical Monday morning chaos and have enough preparation time for yourself, simply allow them to start work that day an hour later than usual.

Welcome culture:

The welcome gift should be prepared before the new employee's first day of work (see above), and let the surprise effect act. From the very first moment, small details like this foster the new team member's sense of belonging, and become a memorable keepsake. Small gestures can have a strong impact.

Introductions:

To get off to a good start, we recommend that you organize a small introductory meeting. Of course, this does not mean that the whole company has to be waiting in the office for the new colleague on the first day. However, at the very least, the colleagues with whom he or she will be working directly in the same department and the mentor should introduce themselves and discuss their areas of responsibility. This will make it easier for the new person to establish contact and reduce any qualms they may have about asking someone directly for help.

Team feeling:

Having lunch with colleagues from the same department on the first day of work reinforces a sense of community and builds a foundation of trust for working together in the future.

2- Why should the onboarding of new employees be "digitized"?

A digitized HR department gives the company a decisive competitive advantage, as it lays the foundations for creating efficient work processes throughout the company. For HR managers, this primarily means more time to focus on what really matters: their employees. Unfortunately, HR is still a department where decisions are made very slowly, especially when it comes to developing new processes, initiatives and tools. In this regard, the pandemic crisis has forced companies to implement the right technology to digitize their procedures, especially when it comes to onboarding.

Some important figures to keep in mind:

• 88% of employees think their company does not have a good onboarding process.
• Only 30% receive internal training in the first 2 weeks.
• Only 50% receive information about tasks and processes.
• Only 60% find their workplace ready to work.
• 82% more staff retention can be achieved with a good onboarding process.
• 70% more productivity can be achieved with effective onboarding from day one.

Companies must understand that onboarding starts before day one and for a successful implementation we recommend the following steps:

Before day one:

• Greetings from the future team by mail.
• First day information (time, schedule, links to remote sessions).
• Inform current employees about the new team members.
• Prepare the designated partner to feel good.
• Write orientation plan.
• Make sure the new employee is familiar with video call tools so that no one is lost during the introduction sessions. Arrange separate calls and sessions to explain the tools beforehand, if necessary.
• Send the welcome package (technical equipment, keys, welcome gift) by mail or courier.

During the first week:

• Communication is more important than ever.
• Email or short video message from CEO to reduce personal fear about company health and personal job security.
• Make sure all technical equipment is complete, all necessary tools and VPN are installed and headsets are included for video calls. New members can't go through the IT department to get things fixed quickly.
• A remote meeting tool (Zoom, Hangout, ec.) is essential so new members don't miss their welcome session on the first day.
• Personal relationships help the welcoming culture.
• Structured onboarding encourages productivity.
• Regular check-ins provide structure.

In terms of productivity, companies should consider implementing HR software platforms to reduce administrative tasks so that HR can focus on the most important asset: people.

Good onboarding requires:

• More than 50 different tasks.
• Performed in the right order.
• By five different departments or employees.
• At the right time.

A structured onboarding process:

• Ensures a good start in the new company, already before the first day.
• Increases productivity and engagement.
• The use of software can simplify administrative tasks.
• Gives more time for appreciation tasks, such as Check In Coffees.

See all software Human Resources (HR)

3- Can you give us 5 tips for companies to ensure they implement a successful remote onboarding?

One of the biggest challenges faced by HR departments in the face of the new normal has been successfully addressing the onboarding of new employees remotely, following the COVID-19 crisis. In this context, HR professionals must focus more than ever on their employees, but to do so, they must save time on administrative tasks, which typically take up 42% of the day according to a study conducted by the company in 2019. In this way Is it possible to make onboarding processes warm and at the same time efficient? It is undoubtedly a completely new landscape for which you have to look for tools that make the work easier.

One of the most important challenges faced by Human Resources departments in the face of the new normality has been to successfully deal with the incorporation of new employees remotely, following the COVID-19 crisis.

In this context, joining a team from home and creating a sense of belonging is one of the biggest challenges, as the new member will not be able to get to know the workplace and his or her colleagues personally. What can you do? Facilitate their onboarding with a well-structured remote onboarding process. Therefore, it is essential to take into account the following keys so that the employee-company tandem continues to function in the new circumstances that accompany us:

1- Communication: for many employees having to work from home due to current mobility constraints can be a tense situation. Therefore, in order to alleviate their fears, it is important for the HR team to keep in close contact with the new employees and inform them openly about the situation. To prevent them from worrying, it is best to anticipate the situation. For example, the manager or HR manager can send an e-mail or a short video answering the most important questions and welcoming the newcomers to the company.

2- Configure the equipment beforehand: in order not to overwhelm the newcomer, it is ideal that they receive the laptops with all the necessary software and tools (including VPN) already installed, since it will be more complex to ask for help from the company's IT department at home.

3- Organize training sessions: always ask the new employee, before the first day, if they are familiar with the most common meeting and chat tools such as Google Hangouts, Zoom and Slack. Organize trainings before they start working so that everyone can participate in the virtual introductory meetings or elaborate quick guides with the main functions of each tool. Not everyone has this knowledge.

4- Offer a personalized onboarding: you should promote the exchange of information between HR, managers and new colleagues as often as possible. It should be taken into account that presentations that were previously made in person are now made via a laptop. Therefore, it is advisable to encourage contact with the team either through coffees, lunches or virtual beers. Tools such as Wellbeing Warrior can also help to promote contact between departments. This tool randomly suggests colleagues with whom you can take a break or have a virtual lunch. Remember that communication is not only important to calm worries and fears at the beginning.

5- Appoint a mentor to maintain closeness: Personio has a mentoring program, both remotely and in person, to welcome new hires. Each new employee is assigned a mentor who will help him/her during the onboarding and make available all his/her advice, experience and skills. In today's context, working from home, this figure becomes even more important. He or she is not only an emotional partner, but will also be in charge of introducing the other teams to the company culture.

Times are tough for both HR specialists and new team members, but a professional and well-adapted onboarding process helps to significantly increase employee productivity from day one and staff retention.