Onboarding sets the precedent for a new hire’s entire experience. Unfortunately, only 12% of employees strongly agree their company has an effective new hire onboarding process, according to Gallup.
The onboarding process doesn’t have to work against engagement. But positioning it as a tool to excite employees about their future requires us to redefine what it means. The process shouldn’t be a generic step that’s boring for employees. Rather, it should be the pivotal moment when new employees:
- adopt the company vision
- learn about their role
- commit to their purpose
So how do companies capture onboarding’s potential and transform it to a platform for engagement? It starts by identifying where a manual employee onboarding process fails.
How does self-service technology improve onboarding?
The right self-service onboarding tool empowers new hires to complete necessary tasks before their first day. Ideally, the process should be part of a truly single HR software. This allows data to flow automatically from onboarding to payroll, benefits, development and more.
Self-service tech also reduces the tasks and work hours associated with onboarding. In fact, Ernst & Young found the total of all onboarding tasks — like gathering I-9, W-4, contact and direct-deposit information — costs an average of $50.18 per employee.
Involving employees in onboarding also helps minimize “the gap,” or the period between when a new hire accepts your offer and their start date. Businesses could expect more no-shows and increased costs without tools to minimize the gap and engage employees sooner. Losing employees to the gap is particularly painful when you consider the average employee costs $4,700 to hire, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.
Ultimately, your onboarding process should accomplish these five goals:
- Set accurate expectations about work.
- Give employees reasons to get excited about your company.
- Introduce new hires to their co-workers and leadership.
- Familiarize new hires with company policies and procedures.
- Continue to support employees through onboarding and beyond.