How to Onboard New Hires

It takes time to write a job description, sift through CVs and cover letters, interview candidates, and find the right person for the job. To make sure that hard work pays off it’s important to plan how to onboard, to give your new hire the right support to be successful.

A strong onboarding process increases employee morale from day one. Your new employees will be more productive, engaged, and committed to helping you build your business. Here are Monster’s recommended best practices – many of which can be applied to remote onboarding, as well as to more traditional ‘in-person on site’ introductions.

Create a Strong Onboarding Program

Design a standardised, consistent onboarding program that you can repeat when new employees join your team. The goal is to give new teammates a warm and consistent introduction and the resources they need to get started. Checklists for both you and them will make sure nothing gets missed!

If you make multiple hires, plan to have them start on the same day. Group onboarding saves time and will be more efficient. It also gives them a chance to connect and help each other adjust to a new company.

Before they start

Prepare before they arrive by having all the ‘new employee admin’ ready. Set up anything they will need in their first days, such as an email address, uniform, badge, technology, and workspace.

Have a checklist of what you need to complete. Communicate clearly what they need to do beforehand or bring. That might include identification documents, proof of eligibility to work and bank details for payroll.

If possible, make new employees feel comfortable right away by starting with introductions to team members and a tour of the workplace. Allow time in the schedule for filling out the necessary employee paperwork.

Develop a New Hire Training Program

You may need both ‘general’ modules for everyone, and role-specific training.

Your general new-hire training may cover topics such as:

• Company History, Mission & Values
• Your Employee Handbook
• Health & Safety – First Aid, Fire Drills
• HR – Paperwork, Pensions, Policies and Procedures
• Location & Cybersecurity
• Company Organisational Chart
• IT set-up – email addresses, Intranet etc.
• Non-Discrimination training

Then a role-specific induction with a manager, team leader or trainer, over the first days or week covering:

• Team Dynamics, schedules and & expectations
• Guidelines and instructions for various tasks
• Any necessary software or machinery training
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Set Clear Responsibilities and Goals

It’s essential to set clear job responsibilities and goals so your new employees know what to do to be successful. During the first week, ask managers to review the job responsibilities and expectations with their new direct report. It takes time to adjust to a new job, so it can be helpful to set goals, objectives, and priorities for the first 30, 60, and 90 days.

Help Them Build Strong Work Relationships

Your new employees are likely to be happier and more successful if they have a strong support system at work. There are some things you can do to help them build strong working relationships – If you have multiple people with the same role, pair new employees with their more experienced counterparts so they can ask questions & get advice.

Have a “D.I.T.L.O.” Day

Have them shadow a top-performing colleague for a “Day In The Life Of…” day. This gives them a realistic overview of the actual job. They’ll probably feel more comfortable discussing certain topics like navigating office politics and the unwritten rules of the workplace with a peer instead of their manager. Pairing them with a colleague you trust will help them build good habits.

You might also consider a more formal mentorship program. Mentorships help your new employees create connections across departments and seniority levels. Interdepartmental relationship-building can also be boosted with occasional all-hands meetings and team-building events.

Set Up Regular Check-Ins

Encourage your managers to have weekly, or fortnightly, one-to-one meetings with each of their direct reports – starting from the very first week. These will help your employees feel supported and develop a strong relationship with their manager.

Consider also having 30-, 60-, and 90-day performance reviews for new employees. Giving constructive feedback and advice helps employees know how they can improve and be more successful.

By setting expectations on what is required, giving them the training and tools needed to do what is required, helping them integrate with the team, and having check-ups and an open line of communication, your newest employees will have a much better chance of thriving and becoming your long-serving colleagues!