Job vacancies are at an all time high in Australia. It is becoming a challenge for a number of small to medium businesses to attract and retain talent currently. As a result, it is important now more than ever to put your best foot forward during the onboarding process. Luckily, onboarding is our bread and butter here at Simon, so we have outlined some of the onboarding best practices for your new employees. No matter the size of your team or the industry you are in, onboarding should be executed to a high quality if you want to retain and attract high-quality staff.
Flexibility
In 2021, businesses are dropping the standard 9am-5pm, in person work arrangements in the droves. For a lot of employers, it should never be a one-size fits all when it comes to onboarding. To keep things efficient and automated, you should define onboarding best practice workflows for various types of employment. Some of the different variations include:
- Full time, part time, casual
- Remote or in person OR a mix of both
- What department they are in
Having some pre-existing workflows, contracts and processes for each type of employee can ensure efficiencies while also providing a personalised approach.
Onboarding best practice doesn’t begin on the first day
Onboarding best practice should never start on the first day of the new employees role. The importance of retaining quality staff is high, so you should be trying to make a good first impression. Leaving your new employee with a lack of information leading up to the first day can cause unwanted anxiety. Ensure you are communicating effectively and regularly to start off with a good impression.
Make it engaging!
Engagement should play a big role in your onboarding best practice and you should never overload them reading and modules on their first day. Make sure you schedule time to network with other employees, meet the senior leaders, take them out for lunch. This will ensure they feel welcome and get a feel for the company as well as the role. Get to know them, don’t spend the day ‘telling them’.
- Automate your onboarding process .
- Collect all required documentation.
- Follow up with surveys.
- Build contracts that can auto-populate.
- Deliver journey-based content and gidence for recipients (interview tips, advice for their first day).
- Track employment journeys
- Trigger notifications
- Distribute offers, promotions and policies to your workforce.
- Streamline employee reviews.
- Integrate into your existing HR software.
If you want to improve your employee engagement and onboarding experiences, book a free demo with Simon today.