Companies, large and small, onboard new employees every day. In the midst of doing so, though, it’s easy to lose track of the number of documents that need to be signed or items that need to be checked off a list. Unfortunately, new hires turnover quickly, with 22% turnover within the first 45 days of a new job.
Before accepting new employees, it’s first important to differentiate between onboarding and orientation. Orientation is, typically, a day-long program that happens on the first day of employment. This is when a new employee learns the basic office procedures and starts to acclimate themselves to the working culture of their new office. Meanwhile, onboarding is the process from the time that a new employee is accepted for a new position, until the day of orientation. During the onboarding process, new employees typically learn office-specific and company wide protocol and policies.
In order to have a smooth onboarding process, the HR department must work to:
- Ensure that the new employee has the company employment handbook
- Has completed and submitted all forms related to payroll by the end of the first day of employment
- They are aware of the organizational structure of the office and who their direct supervisor is, as well as who they supervise (if applicable)
- It is highly recommended that the new employee meets with their direct supervisor during their onboarding process
- Ensure that the new employee understands the mission, vision, short-term, and long-term goals of the company
- Ensures how to report workplace misconduct and feels comfortable doing so, should the situation arise
By developing an onboarding process that covers all the above topics, employees are sure to thrive in a positive and organized working environment. To ensure consistency within the recruiting, onboarding, and orientation process, it is highly advisable to create and distribute an onboarding packet. Companies such as LinkedIn Business Solutions or Inc have already developed extensive guides to developing onboarding booklets, both of which are excellent resources for any business.
If you have questions regarding the above, please feel free to contact Tishkoff on our website (www.Tish.Law) or toll free at (855) TISH-LAW.