Blog Post - Ensuring the smooth onboarding of a new employee

How to ensure the smooth onboarding of a new employee 

The importance of effective onboarding of a new employee is paramount for both a business and its staff. It is estimated that the cost to recruit and hire a new employee in Australia is approximately $23,000 (via: HR Industry Benchmark Survey 2021). This takes into account the time spent on recruitment, training, loss of productivity etc. 

In today’s competitive job market, it is imperative that new staff feel supported. This assist in retaining your new talent. The below steps are a great place to start to help keep your new employee feeling engaged and informed in their new role. 

Welcome Email
A welcome email for a new employee is a very important step in the onboarding process for both yourself as the employer and your new starter. Ideally, the email should come from the new starter’s Direct Manager. Make sure your tone is welcoming, accommodating and reflects your company values.
Information you may include; 

• Start date and time for their first day. Some organisations suggest a later start date to give staff time to settle and prepare before the newcomer arrives.
• Normal work hours, breaks, overtime.
• What to expect on their first day: induction, training, lunch, etc.
• Dress code
• What to bring: ID, paperwork, etc.
• Parking or Public Transport information
• Arrival and building access instructions
• Welcome events
• Contact information for their Manager

Getting set up for the new starter
First impressions count. There is nothing worse than starting at a new workplace and no one is prepared or expecting your arrival. It is important that you as the employer set up and prepare for the commencement of your new employee. This includes things like their workspace, laptop or computer, log in details, passwords, access to any codes they may need, access to stationary they require, uniform, phones.

Assign a go-to buddy
A buddy system helps create another support for your new starter to rely on, as they get settled into your company. The go-to buddy should be a current employee who is be responsible for introducing the new employee to others, taking the new employee on a tour of the workplace, answering any questions about the job and company and covering any company guidelines, culture, and unwritten rules.
Assigning your new employee a buddy will help provide context to their surroundings, boost productivity, allow new hires to ask questions as needed and help ease their nerves. It also assists to train your new employee more effectively and improves overall satisfaction in the workplace.

Weekly check-ins
Employers should stay in contact with their new employees frequently by checking in after their first day, first week, month, etc. Discussion topics can include how they feel they are going, any challenges or lessons learned, any roadblocks or obstacles they might be facing, any goals that they may want to achieve, etc. When an employer remains in contact and active, team members feel supported and successful in their new position.
 
Support and positive feedback
The best way to support your new hire is to listen to them, dont throw too much at them too quickly and stay present. You also want to make your expectations clear, present any team rules and get them involved as soon as possible. Make sure you are approachable, implement a recognition system, and make friendly gestures e.g. taking them out for lunch on their first day to get to know them on a more personal level and helping them to feel more comfortable.
It is important to give positive feedback when deserved. Your new employee might reach a certain goal or KPI, take initiative, introduce a new idea, or go the extra mile. Employees want to and should be recognised for any extra hard work they are putting in.

The above steps are a few ideas on how to ensure a successful onboarding for new employees and work towards keeping them engaged and feeling valued in their new position.