For small businesses, the onboarding process is full of practical concerns, as you run new employees through administrative tasks and set them up with the technology and tools they need to perform their jobs. But onboarding is also a deeply human experience — an opportunity to integrate the new hire into your company culture and help them feel comfortable so they can get to work without delay.
Here are four best practices to help you create a smooth onboarding process that balances the practical and the human, creating a sense of belonging for the new hire and helping them become productive members of your team.
Best practice #1: Start early
Start your onboarding process as soon as the new hire accepts your job offer. Set a warm tone by sending a welcome email (or handwritten note or small gift). And follow up with an email or call to outline what they can expect on their first day, including dress code, parking details, and any paperwork they need to bring. This proactive approach helps alleviate first-day jitters and demonstrates your commitment to their success.
Best practice #2: Create a structured plan for the first week
There is so much information for a new hire to take in during their first week on the job. Help them assimilate by creating, and constantly refining, a structured first-week onboarding plan. The plan should include all the practical requirements, such as training sessions, introductions to colleagues, and overviews of company policies and procedures. It should also include ample time for relationship building, with group lunches, coffee dates with key team members, or other meetings designed to create camaraderie.
Best practice #3: Set clear expectations
Good employees want to know what is expected of them, so establish clear expectations for their performance and behavior from the outset. Clearly outline job responsibilities, performance goals, and evaluation criteria as part of the onboarding process, and be ready to give them regular feedback and constructive criticism to help them course-correct early in their tenure.
Best practice #4: Solicit feedback
No matter how confident you are in your onboarding process, it is important to solicit feedback from new hires. Asking for input on what worked well and where there is room for improvement demonstrates the same flexibility and growth mindset required of employees, and you can use the feedback to refine and adapt your onboarding process to better meet the needs of future hires.
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About the Author: Benjamin Vassallo
