Onboarding

“Onboarding is an ever-ongoing process”.

“Personalization in onboarding is crucial for increasing efficiency.”
“Onboarding is more than just paperwork. It should be an all-around process that also
introduces new employees to the company environment and culture.”

Onboarding is a comprehensive process that organizations implement to integrate new

employees into their roles and the company culture effectively. It is a critical phase that sets
the tone for the employee's success, engagement, and retention within the organization. The
following are key components of a successful onboarding process:

1. Preparation: Before the new employee's start date, the HR department should ensure all
necessary paperwork is completed and their workspace is equipped and ready.
2. Orientation: The first day should involve an orientation session that includes a warm
welcome, an introduction to the team, a walkthrough of the office, and a review of company
policies and procedures.
3. Training and Development: The onboarding process should provide the new employee
with the necessary training to perform their job effectively. This may include job-specific
skills training, software systems training, and compliance training.
4. Setting Expectations: Clearly defining expectations and goals for the new employee is
important. This helps them understand what is required of them and what success looks like
in their role.
5. Mentoring and Support: Assigning a mentor or buddy to the new employee can help them
acclimate to the company culture, ask questions, and seek guidance. This support system can
make the onboarding process smoother and more engaging.
6. Feedback and Check-ins: Regular check-ins with the new employee is essential to gather
feedback on their onboarding experience, address any challenges they may be facing, and
provide additional support as needed.
7. Integration: Encouraging new employees to participate in team meetings, social events,
and collaborative projects helps them feel like part of the team and fosters a sense of
belonging.
8. Continuous Improvement: Organizations should regularly evaluate and refine their
onboarding process based on feedback from new hires and managers to ensure it remains
effective and relevant. A well-executed onboarding process not only helps new employees feel
welcomed and prepared for their roles but also sets the foundation for their long-term
success and engagement within the organization. It is a crucial investment that can lead to
higher retention rates, improved job satisfaction, and increased productivity.

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 Factors Affecting Onboarding:

1. Clarity of Expectations: Clear communication of job responsibilities, company values, and

onboarding timeline is crucial for a successful onboarding process.
2. Training and Development: Providing adequate training and development opportunities
to new hires can help them quickly get up to speed and become productive members of the
team.
3. Company Culture: A strong company culture that promotes collaboration, inclusivity, and
employee well-being can greatly impact a new employee's onboarding experience.

4. Supportive Managers: Having supportive and accessible managers who provide guidance,
feedback, and support can help new hires feel welcomed and valued in the organization.
5. Technology and Tools: Access to the necessary technology and tools, as well as proper
training on how to use them, is essential for new employees to perform their job effectively.
6. Feedback and Evaluation: Regular feedback and performance evaluations can help new
hires understand their progress, areas for improvement, and how they can further contribute
to the organization.
7. Onboarding Process: A well-structured and personalized onboarding process that
addresses the individual needs and preferences of each new hire can lead to higher
engagement and retention rates.
8. Socialization and Integration: Facilitating opportunities for new employees to socialize
with their colleagues, participate in team-building activities, and integrate into the
company's social fabric can foster a sense of belonging and loyalty.
9. Resources and Support: Providing access to resources, support networks, and mentorship
programs can help new employees navigate challenges, build relationships, and acclimate to
their new environment.
10. Flexibility and Adaptability: Being flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances,
individual preferences, and unexpected challenges can help ensure a smooth and successful
onboarding experience for new hires. Maintaining a professional tone of voice in all
communications related to onboarding is essential for conveying the importance and
seriousness of the process, setting clear expectations, and creating a positive and engaging
experience for new employees.

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 Onboarding Forms

Employee handbook
An employee handbook is an essential tool for effectively communicating company policies,
expectations, and guidelines to new employees. It covers topics such as code of conduct,
dress code, vacation policies, and disciplinary procedures.

By providing employees with access to the employee handbook during the on boarding
process, employers ensure that there is clarity and consistency in communicating their values
and expectations.

2. Employment contract

An employment contract is a formal agreement between the employer and the employee,
outlining the terms and conditions of employment. This document details important
information such as job title, compensation, benefits, and probationary period, if applicable.

By having employees review and sign the employment contract during the onboarding
process, employers can ensure that both parties have a clear understanding of their rights
and obligations.

3. Benefit enrollment forms/ PF /Gratuity etc

Benefit enrollment forms are used to enroll new employees in various benefit
programs offered by the company. These can include health insurance, retirement plans, life
insurance, and disability insurance.

By completing these forms early on in the onboarding process, employees can make informed
decisions about their coverage and start enjoying these benefits as soon as they become
eligible.

5. Non-disclosure agreements

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are essential for protecting a company's intellectual

property and sensitive information.

These agreements prohibit employees from sharing confidential information with outside
parties without proper authorization. By having new employees sign NDAs during the
onboarding process, employers can safeguard their trade secrets and ensure the security of
their valuable assets.

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6. Non – Compete Agreements:

Non-compete agreements, also known as restrictive covenants, are legally binding contracts
that prevent employees from engaging in competitive activities with their former employers
for a certain period of time after leaving the company.

These agreements are designed to protect a company's trade secrets, confidential

information, and customer relationships.

Non-compete agreements typically contain clauses that restrict employees from working for a
competing company in the same industry or geographic area, soliciting clients or employees
from their previous employer, or starting a competing business.

The aim is to prevent employees from using the knowledge and experience gained from their
previous employment to gain an unfair advantage in the marketplace.

These agreements are commonly used by companies that heavily rely on innovation,
proprietary information, or specialized expertise. Industries such as technology, research
and development, and pharmaceuticals often require employees to sign non-compete
agreements to protect their valuable intellectual property.

A controversial topic

Non-compete agreements are a contentious topic, as they can limit an individual's ability to
seek new employment opportunities. Critics argue that these agreements can stifle
competition and hinder an individual's career growth by preventing them from working in
their chosen field.

On the other hand, proponents of non-compete agreements argue that they're necessary to
protect investments made in employee training and development and to safeguard a
company's competitive advantage.

The enforceability of non-compete agreements varies by jurisdiction. Some states have

stricter laws that limit the scope and duration of these agreements, while others may enforce
them more favorably for employers.
It is essential for both employers and employees to understand the specific regulations and
legal considerations surrounding non-compete agreements in their respective jurisdictions.

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When considering whether to include a non-compete agreement in an employment contract,
employers should carefully evaluate the necessity and reasonableness of the restrictions.

They should ensure that the agreement strikes a balance between protecting their legitimate
business interests and not unreasonably restraining an employee's right to earn a living.

For employees, it is critical to carefully review and negotiate the terms of a non-compete
agreement before signing. Understanding the specific limitations and implications of the
agreement can help individuals make informed decisions about their careers and future job
prospects.

7. New hire questionnaire:

The new hire questionnaire is a foundational element of the onboarding process. Designed to
capture vital information from incoming employees, it aids organizations in understanding
the backgrounds, preferences, and aspirations of their new members.

By gathering details ranging from basic personal data to insights about their work style and
expectations, this form ensures a more tailored and efficient integration into the team.

It's not just a logistical step; it's a proactive measure to pave the way for enhanced
communication, role clarity, and immediate alignment with the company's culture and
objectives.

Building bridges: What to include in a new hire questionnaire

Additionally, this questionnaire can serve as a bridge between HR teams, managers, and the
new hire. By identifying any special requirements, training needs, or potential challenges
upfront, the organization can pre-emptively address concerns and create a supportive
environment.

Feedback from these questionnaires can also be instrumental in refining the overall
onboarding experience, highlighting areas of improvement and showcasing what the
company is doing right.

With the right questions, companies can set the tone for a collaborative and productive
relationship from day one.

Here's a list of questions that can be included in a new hire questionnaire:

Basic personal details:

Full Name/Preferred Name or Nickname

Contact Information (Phone & Email)

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Previous experience:

What were your main responsibilities in your last job?

What software or tools are you proficient in that relate to your new role?

Work preferences:

Do you have a preferred working style? (e.g., collaborative, independent)

Are there specific times during the day when you're most productive?

Learning and development:

What areas would you like to further develop or receive training in?

Are there any certifications or courses you're interested in pursuing?

Logistical details:

Do you have any special requirements or accommodations needed for your workstation or
work environment?

Are there any tools, software, or resources you need to start effectively?

Company integration:

How do you prefer to receive feedback?

What information or resources would help you feel more integrated into our team?

Goals and aspirations:

What are your short-term and long-term career goals?

How can the company support you in achieving these goals?

Work-life balance:

Do you have any commitments or hobbies outside of work that may affect your availability?

What are your preferred working hours?

Feedback and expectations:

What are your initial impressions of our company and team?

Are there any immediate concerns or expectations you'd like to share?

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On boarding Checklist:

* Pre on boarding Checklist/*Welcome mail & Kit

On boarding Terminology:

Content-driven onboarding

Get ready for a seamless start with content-driven onboarding! This method revolves around
providing new employees with valuable and captivating content. Imagine resources like
manuals, videos, guides, and tutorials that help newcomers familiarize themselves with the
company's culture, policies, and tasks. The goal is to offer easily understandable, consistent,
and comprehensive materials that enable them to quickly adapt to their new environment.

Data-driven on boarding

Data-driven onboarding uses measurable data and metrics to enhance and customize the on
boarding process for new hires. By using analytics, employers can track and measure on
boarding success, identify improvement areas, and continually refine the process. This
approach facilitates more effective on boarding by tailoring it to individual needs and
maximizing employee performance and engagement.

Digital on boarding

Digital onboarding is the process of using online tools and technologies to welcome new
hires into the company and help them quickly adapt to their roles. It can involve the use of
online documentation, videos, training modules, and interactive tools to help new hires
understand their job duties ad company policies and connect with their new colleagues. By
using digital tools, organizations can streamline the process, personalize it, make the
information more engaging and accessible, and foster productivity from the very beginning.

Gamification

Gamification adds game-like features and fun activities to work processes. This makes things
more enjoyable and interactive while boosting motivation, engagement, and learning. This
ultimately enhances the overall employee experience. One of the ways to introduce
gamification is using VR (Virtual Reality) in your onboarding.

ISO-certified

For onboarding platforms, the ISO 27001 certification is important, which focuses on
information security management systems.

Storytelling

Storytelling is a powerful tool in the onboarding process as it provides context and

emotionally engages new hires. By incorporating storytelling in your onboarding process,
you can help your new employees learn about your organization's history, values, goals,
successes, and challenges. It's a way to convey complex information in an entertaining way,

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inspire, and make it easier to remember the information. Through storytelling, new
employees understand the 'why' behind the company and can become more motivated to
contribute to the continuation of its story.

7Cs - Compliance, Clarification, Confidence, Culture, Connection, Checkback, Creativity

These are the building blocks of a good onboarding process, as outlined by Talya Bauer.
Let's quickly go through them:

 ‍ ompliance: Tell your new employees about all the crucial legalities, company
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policies, and security protocols. These early efforts can prevent beginner mistakes
and make it easier for them to adapt to your company's way of doing things. This
approach helps them feel safe and confident.‍

 Clarification: Amplify the confidence of your team by clarifying what their role
entails, the team dynamics they would be a part of, and the objectives they should aim
for. Such transparency breeds confidence, enabling them to perform their best.‍

 Culture: Show the necessary parts of your company culture. Let them know about
things like the dress code, important company values, and the mission statement. This
helps them align their goals with the heart of the company.‍

 Connection: Connection plays a crucial role in employee retention and engagement

during the onboarding process. It involves creating meaningful relationships between
new hires and their colleagues, management, and the company as a whole. Strong
connections enhance workplace collaboration and contribute to a successful
onboarding experience.‍

 Checkback: Onboarding is a marathon, not a sprint. Periodic check-ins provide

valuable insights into the experiences and challenges of your new employees,
fostering engagement. This way, you can further enhance your onboarding
experience.‍

 Confidence: Cultivating a culture where new hires can express their ideas freely, find
their voices, and have the confidence to tackle complex problems can yield innovative
solutions and foster a problem-solving mindset. Confidence also translates into a
greater attraction and retention of talented professionals, further enhancing your
employer brand.‍

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  Creativity: Creativity breathes life into even the most mundane tasks. Encourage a
culture of innovation and creativity, allowing employees to approach their roles in
unique ways. This might tangibly manifest as a creative onboarding program,
integrating storytelling and interactive activities into the process. By fostering
creativity, employees are likely to remember important information better and feel
more engaged, which ultimately boosts your company's profile as an innovative
workplace.

Onboarding challenges:

1. Too much manual paperwork

2. Information overload on day one

3. Unclear job roles

4. Onboarding is generic and not contextual to specific roles

5. Not investing enough resources into onboarding

6. Lack of employee engagement

7. 7. An unstructured onboarding process

8. Lack of employee feedback post-onboarding

9. Lack of onboarding on enterprise tech stack

10. Not investing in efficient employee onboarding software

To delve further:

Preboarding or Prejoining:

“Get the right balance in the amount of content, and then diversify. Don’t be afraid of
being so ambitious in the Preboarding phase.”

“The key to eliminating the anxiety of new hires is to give them a good start.”

Preboarding employees needs more than just a handshake. It should focus on sharing the
core values and basic knowledge of the new organisation from the moment they sign the
contract. Leverage what they learn to succeed in their new role.

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Send a Welcome to the Team

Every new journey begins with a special tailored message. Start with a welcome video from
the CEO. Additionally, introduce their onboarding buddy, who will help them along their
journey.

Share Culture & Values

Let your new hires get to know the Culture & Values of your company on a first-name basis.
They will be a big part of their success and improve a complete Pre & Onboarding
experience.

Encourage Socialising and Confidence

Meeting the team before the first day allows getting the confidence they need to start working
effectively. The team will send to them fun, customised videos during the preboarding
process to make them feel at home.

The next phases that flow in post Preboarding

(a)Onboarding

(b)Crossboarding- Transition in roles

(c)Reboarding- Planning to onboard after an extended period of Absense.

Virtual Onboarding- The New Norm “A long term dream turning into reality…”

# A lack of peer-to-peer recognition and less engagement with the company’s values were
listed as top concerns.

# Employees struggles of creating personal connections, and cycling through jobs. Find it
easy to quit as they have never met the colleagues in person, the sense of belongingness is
missing.

Virtual onboarding can lead to a lack of peer-to-peer recognition and engagement with the
company’s values among existing employees. To address these challenges, organizations can
implement strategies like:

o Organizing virtual events focusing on employee appreciation

o Introducing a peer-to-peer recognition platform
o Promoting peer-to-peer recognition
o Utilizing points-based recognition

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Companies like Phenom, Netflix, Zappos, Microsoft, and Onboard by HR Cloud have
successfully implemented virtual employee onboarding solutions.

Microlearning is definitely among the current onboarding trends. But it’s not just a trend. It’s
a solution.

Microlearning (or microtraining) can be delivered through many different formats, but it has
to be broken into many, short parts. Whether it’s a video, a presentation, an audio file, or
even articles, the average time it should require from a learner shouldn’t exceed 5 to 10
minutes.

It’s no secret that our attention span is getting shorter and shorter. This results in a call for
more concise learning content.

So, it comes as no surprise that most trainers have stopped info-overloading their trainees.
Naturally, they couldn’t process all this information. Companies, nowadays, need to put their
learners first, focus on learning retention in the age of shortened attention spans, and help
them by being transparent and inclusive.

Example:

“The Chosen Analyst” to onboard new analysts- Learning new skills and consulting software
Zombie Apocalypse themed Game was an instant hit.

Accenture has made a breakthrough in efficiently onboarding new hires by distributing

60,000 headsets for employee training. Their XR services also enable employees to
attend business events like holiday parties virtually.

VR failed as an asset. A list of corporations like Bank of America, Walmart, and UPS has
embraced the XR (Extended Reality) training.

Bank of America’s pilot VR program with 400 employees had 97% of them feeling more
comfortable with their tasks after the training.

For instance, Cisco had a 24-hour “breakathon” with 800+ employees to identify key
moments between HR and employees using design thinking principles. This led to

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YouBelong@Cisco - a completely redesigned version of employee onboarding aimed to
target the pain points of people starting their careers at Cisco.

Like great customer experience is crucial for a company, delivering an engaging employee
experience has become a top priority, especially for chief human-resource officers (CHROs).

Successful mentorship programs for new hires include Randstad’s Insider Program, Time
Warner Cable’s employee mentorship program, and iGrow mentoring program. These
programs provide new hires with valuable guidance and support to facilitate their integration
into the company culture and enable their success in their roles.
‍

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