What Are The Steps In The Onboarding Process?

Last Updated: 

May 16, 2024

The onboarding process is an important part of any organisation's success. It sets the tone for how employees will experience their time with the company and can be a key factor in reducing turnover rates.  

You can either create your own, or seek out professional onboarding solutions, but keep in mind that it's essential to create a comprehensive onboarding process that covers all of the most important steps.

Key Takeaways for Steps In The Onboarding Process:

  1. Top 3 industries leading in onboarding practices: Technology, healthcare, and financial services are currently excelling in onboarding processes, using tailored approaches and leveraging technology to support new hires.
  2. Create an onboarding plan: Develop a customised plan for each new employee that outlines the necessary activities, tasks, expectations, and resources for their success in the role.
  3. Introduce the team to the new hire: Encourage relationship-building among new hires and their colleagues through virtual meet and greets, team introductions, and discussions about company culture.
  4. Assign a mentor: Pair new hires with an experienced employee to help them acclimate to the company culture and provide guidance on operations and procedures.
  5. Introduce benefits: Inform new hires about their benefits package, including health insurance, vacation days, and other eligible perks.
  6. Provide a workspace setup: Ensure the new employee has a comfortable and organised workspace, complete with necessary equipment and software.
  7. Monitor progress throughout the onboarding process: Schedule regular check-ins to assess the new hire's understanding of company policies and their comfort level in the role.
  8. Provide resources and support: Offer access to job-specific training materials, one-on-one mentorship sessions, and group activities to help new hires connect with their colleagues.
  9. Recognise and reward onboarding milestones: Acknowledge new employees' achievements during the onboarding process to show appreciation for their efforts.
  10. Evaluate the success of the onboarding program and make improvements as needed: Gather feedback from new hires and supervisors, review documentation, and measure key objectives to continuously improve the onboarding process.
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Onboarding Practices Of Top 3 Industries

The top 3 industries that are leading the charge in onboarding practices are technology, healthcare, and financial services. 

Tech Industry

Tech companies often focus on making sure new hires have a smooth transition into their roles. Companies typically use virtual onboarding sessions to ensure new employees can learn about the company and their job duties quickly and efficiently.

Tech companies often provide new hires with access to a library of resources such as books and webinars so they can get up to speed on the latest industry trends and technologies. 

Healthcare Organisations 

They are also leading the charge in utilising professional onboarding practices by creating welcoming environments for new workers. 

Healthcare providers typically utilise employee-centric tactics such as one-on-one conversations with managers, personalised onboarding experiences, and training and development opportunities to ensure new hires feel comfortable and supported. 

Financial Services 

These companies are utilising a more comprehensive approach to their onboarding processes.

Companies in the financial sector often invest heavily in technology such as analytics software and AI bots to help stream

Create An Onboarding Plan

Onboarding should be tailored to each individual, as every person has different needs and expectations for their job.

Creating an onboarding plan is important as it helps ensure that your new employees are successfully integrated into the organisation and have a positive experience in their new role.  It outlines all of the activities, tasks, expectations, and resources needed for an individual to be successful in their job. 

An onboarding plan can also help ensure consistency across departments when hiring and integrating new employees.

Introduce The Team To The New Hire

Introducing the team to the new hire allows them to quickly get to know their colleagues, build trust, and start working together as a unified team. 

Set Up A Meet & Greet

Before the new hire’s first day, set up a virtual meet and greet for them to get to know their teammates.  This is an opportunity to introduce the team, discuss company culture, and ask questions. 

Plan Orientation

Make sure everyone is prepared for the new hire’s first day by planning an orientation.  This should include a tour of the office, introductions to pertinent people, an overview of the company culture and expectations, and basic training on technology or operations.

Assign A Mentor

This mentor should be a current employee who can help the new hire acclimate to the company culture, provide guidance on operations and procedures, and answer any questions they may have.

Introduce Them To Benefits

Make sure that each new hire is aware of their benefits package and how to access them.  This includes health insurance, vacation days, and any other benefits that they may be eligible for.

Ask for feedback on their experience and make adjustments as needed. This will help foster a successful employee onboarding process

Provide A Workspace Setup For The New Hire

When onboarding a new hire, it is important to provide them with an organised and comfortable workspace.  This helps create a positive work environment and allows the new employee to transition smoothly into their new role. To do this, employers can consider taking the following steps: 

Ergonomic And Comfortable Workspace 

Adjustable seating, adequate lighting and the right setup of desks and monitors should all be considered when setting up the workspace. 

All Necessary Equipment Is Available And Ready To Go

This includes computers, phones, printers, scanners, keyboards and other peripherals. 

Ensure that everything is connected and working properly before the new hire arrives, so that they can hit the ground running on their first day. 

Provide Any Necessary Software Or Applications That May Be Needed For The Role

Installing the latest versions of these programs will help ensure that employees have all of the necessary tools to do their job effectively.  

Monitor Progress Throughout The Onboarding Process

Set up regular check-ins with the new employee to assess their understanding of company policies and expectations, as well as their comfort level with the role. These meetings are also a great opportunity for new employees to ask questions and provide input on ways to improve the onboarding process. 

Make sure both the new hire and your team feel comfortable throughout the onboarding process by providing the necessary resources and support. This could include access to job-specific training materials, one-on-one mentorship sessions with a more experienced employee, or group activities that help new hires connect with their colleagues. 

Recognise and reward your new employees for completing onboarding milestones—such as signing important documents or completing an online course—to show that you value their efforts.

Evaluate The Success Of The Onboarding Program And Make Improvements As Needed.

As you review the onboarding process, consider meeting with new hires and their supervisors to ensure that everyone is on the same page. 

Ask for feedback about what could be improved and use this information to make necessary changes. 

Review any existing documentation related to onboarding and update as needed. 

Measure key objectives such as employee satisfaction, completion of training, and retention rate to determine the overall effectiveness of the onboarding program. 

Final Word

By following a structured onboarding process, you can ensure that your organisation’s time and resources are used efficiently while also providing an excellent introduction experience for all new hires. 

With proper planning and communication throughout the entire process, you can create a smooth transition from hire to employee status with minimal disruption to existing operations.

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