Companies have realized the importance of welcoming new team members, which is why many of them use a process called onboarding. Apart from welcoming new recruits, the process serves as an orientation to ensure that all team members are familiar with company policy, duties, operations, and other facets of the organization and position. It’s now digitized, so you can do it online or remotely from any device.
Some companies opt to start this process once the team member has been appointed while others prefer to recruit from the first contact. Here’s how digital onboarding can improve your staff’s experience:
Common courtesy, friendliness, and open communication will go a long way when dealing with anyone, regardless of whether they become a team member. The person on the other side of digital communications gives candidates the first impression of the company with how they interact with other employees.
However, it may be difficult for some employees to form connections with others. Some would need extra support from the company to empower online workers with tools and model the attitude and ethics they would like to see in their staff.
Hence, setting the stage for the rest of the working relationship is crucial. After all, no one wants to work at a company where they have been met with rudeness from the start. Because the process is done digitally, there’ll be no face-to-face communication initially, but this doesn't mean that communication is less critical.
With more and more interactions taking place on digital platforms, people miss out on social interaction, non-verbal cues, and other factors that would usually assist them in forming opinions and connections. A good onboarding process will help with developing these connections.
The onboarding process is traditionally on the team member's first day at the office. But, it can now be done immediately with digital solutions.
You can forward any documentation, and carry out video interviews and meetings. Consider implementing instant messaging or bot systems for feedback and queries. Adding access to the necessary systems is easy to arrange in a matter of minutes. As a result, you won’t have to worry about wasting time on long meetings, information sessions, or training. Everything will be done digitally before the new member's start date.
Just make sure you streamline the onboarding process so it is easy to complete in a short time. This way, employees will fulfill their duties efficiently.
Anyone would feel excited about landing a new job. Recruits will be eager to start their journey with the company that needs them.
But onboarding can be an overwhelming and frustrating process for both new members and the company. Especially, as there are many items to tick off the list. So, doing digital onboarding may save time and make the process smoother for staff members.
Employees who have access to training material via video presentation can easily refer to it when they need it. This means the company doesn’t have to explain everything again. These videos and instructional images can be made available to other staff members who can use them as references anytime.
Creative solutions like these prevent employees from feeling dissatisfied and dealing with information overload. They also keep them from feeling pressure to remember each piece of information.
Team members who feel support from the start will be happier working at a company. Thus, they are likely to stay with the company. One of the main reasons some employees leave companies is a lack of support from and connection with line managers.
Therefore, it’s essential to show that you value your staff. You can do this early on during the onboarding process. Involve the new member in a group chat and introduce them to their line manager. A simple introduction like this will enhance the working relationship. Instead of finishing the onboarding process and leading the person to the next department, you can make them feel welcome.
In addition, when managers show involvement in the onboarding process, they can provide valuable input. They are available to answer some questions about the position or department that team members may have. Most onboarding software would have a checklist that employees can follow and mark when they complete the task. This software lets the line manager know about the person's work ethic and performance.
Observations, such as completing simple tasks, help the manager see if team members need more support. This proactive approach will ensure that employees remain content, reducing the risk of them leaving for another company.
Motivating employees has become a big part of everyday operations for companies, especially when their staff work in a work-from-home or hybrid setup.
Pictures that are beautiful, exciting videos, frequent interactions between team members, and other exciting tools during onboarding will encourage employees to participate in more activities. More examples of enjoyable onboarding experiences include asking ice breaker questions, doing fun quizzes to get to know each other, or sharing a virtual tea time.
The motivation members get will spill over into their work performance and output quality. The more enjoyable it is for staff members to do their work, the better they will perform and the higher their work quality is.
Creating a feeling of cohesion from the start will pave the way for good interactions between the company and employees in the future. It also strengthens team members’ loyalty to the organization. Thus, helps them to form bonds with their colleagues later on.
Companies can help their recruits adjust well to the new work environment by assigning them an office buddy each. An office buddy can guide and assist the new hire with finding the right tools, using the business software, and explain confusing instructions or procedures.
Both the line manager and human resources department can do their part to lead recruits as well. With their support, new hires will be able to adjust faster.
In short, digital onboarding can set the stage for other digital or online work functions and acclimate team members to this way of working. A few years from now, this process will become standard practice. But in the meantime, some employees today will still need help to adjust to the digital work realm.
So many hours are lost during the workday because of repetitive tasks that employees perform. Recruiting or onboarding may be one such task for the human resources department.
Each new team member can have standard onboarding for the company. Specialized onboarding can be added for each department. A digital onboarding solution will make the task easier and save many hours of valuable time for the recruiter.
Digital solutions, like training videos, will save in the cloud until you need them for the next recruit. Because you keep them, the process won’t repeat each time.
Another way to save employees from repeatedly doing the same task will be to automate certain functions. With applications available on the market currently, specific processes and procedures of the onboarding process can be automated. One example of an app you can take advantage of is a platform bot, which exchanges information between your apps and your business communication platform.
With onboarding being an online or digital function, you can carry it out anywhere, anytime. Employees can review the material at their own pace and complete forms in the comfort of their own homes.
Remote or hybrid workers tend to be more productive working in a comfortable, more relaxing setting like their home. The calm environment and remote access ensure that team members can focus and achieve more in a short period of time. This kind of setup can include the onboarding process too.
In fact, convenience has become one of the factors most people would look for when applying for a new position. The remote working era has created a group of workers that want to integrate their office life with their home life seamlessly. This is easy for you to offer them through the digital onboarding process.
Moreover, you can collect most information remotely and store it in a central database. This makes it easy for employees to review and is accessible to other staff members like management.
Discuss some expectations and explain the job during the initial conversations and interviews regarding the position. However, you can give a more in-depth explanation during onboarding.
Team members need to know what their job is, how they should complete their tasks, and why some duties are so important. A deep discussion will prepare them not only for the work but the company’s expectations of them as well.
The onboarding process usually happens when recruits join the company, but it can also happen when existing employees move between departments or get a promotion. Almost everything is online today, and the onboarding process is no exception.
Let the process work for your employees. Soon, you’ll see happy, loyal staff working together towards a common company goal.
