Effective Employee Onboarding: How to Do It Right?

A failed onboarding process can visibly reduce an employee's performance and even lead to their departure. Unfortunately, many managers in Poland still make this mistake. Each resignation brings additional costs and the risk of staffing shortages. What can be done about it? The key is effective employee onboarding. Find out what it should look like.

Onboarding – What Is It?

Let's start with what onboarding actually means. Translated literally from English, it means "getting on board" and refers to the process of integrating a new employee into the company, with particular focus on the specifics of their role and the responsibilities that come with it. Today, the term is widely used in HR and covers a range of activities related to introducing an employee into the organization's structures. How quickly the new hire settles into their new environment — and at what level they perform their duties — depends on the effectiveness of this process. It is therefore worth planning onboarding down to the smallest detail and making every effort to ensure the process runs smoothly.

What Should Onboarding Cover?

Every company has its own specifics, but onboarding itself is a universal process that should cover, above all:

• an overview of the company's history and profiles of key personnel,
• a discussion of company procedures and processes, including document workflows, etc.,
• an introduction to the organizational structure and corporate culture,
• an outline of the company's values and goals in the short and long term,
• an introduction to the typical career path for the given position,
• a detailed discussion of the scope of duties,
• familiarization with the rules for using company equipment,
• an introduction to all departments in the company,
• meeting direct colleagues and supervisors,
• completion of all necessary formalities, including an equipment handover protocol, etc.

Effective Employee Onboarding Process – Step by Step

Below is a step-by-step description of the model employee onboarding process. Individual stages may differ depending on the specifics of the company and its structure. The following guidelines should be treated as a basis for developing individual onboarding procedures and processes. Our experts are happy to assist in this area, so we encourage you to get in touch directly.

1. Informing the candidate about the start of cooperation – the first step is to contact the candidate, inform them of their successful completion of the recruitment process and the company's intention to hire them, followed by signing an employment contract on mutually agreed terms.

2. Preparing and organizing the workplace – after signing the contract, the workplace should be prepared, taking into account all necessary tools and equipment, such as electronics, personal protective equipment, or setting up a personalized company email account, which shortens the time it takes for the employee to become fully operational.

3. Assigning a so-called Buddy – in English, a "buddy" is the person who supports the new employee during their first days or weeks, including overseeing the onboarding process. Choose this person from among employees who have the right qualifications, well-developed soft skills, and an excellent understanding of the tasks associated with the given position.

4. Introducing the new employee to colleagues, supervisors, and other members of the organization – this process takes place on several levels, including electronically by sending emails to all staff announcing the new hire, as well as through personal introductions to direct colleagues and supervisors, and to other people the new employee will interact with within the company's structure.

5. Clearly defining duties and responsibilities – from day one, the new employee should have detailed information about their duties and tasks, as well as their potential expansion in the future. This reduces the risk of misunderstandings.

6. Evaluating onboarding effectiveness – after the designated onboarding period, its effectiveness and relevance should be assessed. This involves conducting an interview with the employee or administering a survey to determine their level of familiarity with colleagues, duties, and the quality of work performed. The collected data should be used to continuously improve the onboarding process within the company.

What Mistakes Should Be Avoided?

Labor market conditions are changing, so the onboarding process should be regularly reviewed and updated in terms of its effectiveness and clarity. The following mistakes should be avoided:

• excessive formalization of the process and overwhelming the employee with unnecessary information from the start,
• misjudging the time needed for onboarding — for example, making it excessively long or too short,
• leaving the employee to fend for themselves without any guidance or direction,
• lack of feedback during and after the onboarding process,
• lack of knowledge, time, and tools to conduct effective onboarding, e.g., poor training quality or unclear processes.

Effective employee onboarding will ensure that their activity and productivity are at a high level from day one. They will find their footing in the new environment faster and become an important member of the team. It also has a positive effect on the company's image on the labor market. As HR experts, we understand perfectly well that every onboarding process should be refined down to the smallest detail.

Sources:

• https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/onboarding-best-practices
• https://www.ey.com/pl_pl/insights/workforce/onboarding-pracownika-na-czym-polega-i-jak-go-przeprowadzic
• https://www.money.pl/gospodarka/skuteczny-onboarding-klucz-do-efektywnej-adaptacji-pracownikow-7136107634997856a.html