Onboarding Importance and Manager Role

Study Notes

Onboarding is essential to retain employees. New hires make their decision to stay within the first 30 days.
Organizations with effective onboarding processes increase productivity by 70% and employee retention by 82%.
A strong onboarding program helps new hires understand their role, the company's values, goals, policies, processes, and organizational culture.

Management needs to take the lead in onboarding. If they do not, employees are likely to leave within the first year.
Poor onboarding within the first 2-3 days can lead to new hires feeling confused, frustrated, and unvalued.
In order to prevent a negative first impression, a well-structured onboarding plan is necessary.
The manager should be responsible for preparing the workspace and resources before the first day, introducing the new hire to the team and their role.
The manager should also provide ongoing support, schedule meetings, and help the new hire understand their tasks and company culture.

The goal of onboarding is to show new hires they are valued and welcomed.
During the recruitment process, introducing candidates to their future colleagues helps build initial connections.
Before the first day, the supervisor should set up a working desk, telephone, inform IT to configure devices, and enter the new hire into the company's database with appropriate permissions.
Before the first day, preparing a package of tasks for the first two weeks helps new hires get comfortable in their role.
Tasks should be balanced and engaging.
Introductory meetings with key internal stakeholders are essential to build connections and understanding.
In the case of a longer gap between job confirmation and the start date, send documents about the company, invite the new hire to events, and offer eLearning tools.

In the first few weeks, the new hire should attend pre-scheduled meetings to build their internal network.
The manager should explain the specific skills, tasks, and processes relevant to the new hire's daily work.
The manager should detail important reports and their production and explain regular tasks.
The manager should show where important documents and materials can be found.
The manager should share the team's history, past performance, strengths, future goals, and key performance indicators (KPIs).

Introducing the new hire to major external partners should be strategic and planned.
The new employee should gain a better understanding of external partners, like key customers, bank account managers, or local officials.
The first month is a “getting-to-know-each-other" phase.
Introducing external partners too early can be disruptive if there are frequent staff changes.
Introduce external partners after the new hire seems like a long-term fit.

The new hire should shadow colleagues with similar roles in other branches to gain a better understanding of how seasoned employees perform tasks.
If the new hire has a managerial role, they should participate in the company’s leadership development program.
The leadership program should focus on the organization’s understanding of leadership and should span several sessions.
The goal of the leadership program should be to help the new manager build an internal network.
For smaller companies without such programs, involving new managers in various projects with other managers can help them build a network and understand the company’s leadership dynamics.

Onboarding should be flexible and tailored to each individual, considering experience and background.
The onboarding process should not be one-size-fits-all.
HR and the manager should be responsible for customizing the onboarding steps.
For seasoned leaders, onboarding should focus on integrating them into the company’s strategic vision, culture, and key relationships.
For recent graduates, onboarding should involve structured training, hands-on projects, and mentoring opportunities.