Onboarding Starts Before the Employee Starts

If you work in HR, you are aware of the effort required to welcome a new member of the team.

Following the hiring process, which is a task in and of itself, you must welcome the new hire and provide them with all the information they require regarding working for your business.

Many brand-new hires are eager to get started straight away. But first, some formalities need to be handled.

Onboarding (or preboarding) is a crucial process in any business, even though a lot of it may not be interesting to a new hire who is eager to get started.

The new hire must get to know everyone, tour the entire office, complete all necessary documentation, learn how the business runs, and receive the right equipment for the position.

They can then get started right away.

Table of Contents

What Is Onboarding?

We’ve all gone through the onboarding process when starting a new job. On your first day, you arrive at work eager to get started.

You’ll probably start with that awesome project right away that you talked about with your new manager during the interview, right? Wait a minute.

When you arrive, an HR professional immediately hands you over for onboarding.

They likely give you a tour of the workplace and introduce you to everyone before leading you into a room to finish typical onboarding tasks like:

Completing tax and payroll forms
Enrolling in retirement savings and insurance
Obtaining a computer, an email address, a key to the workplace, and other essentials
Studying the employee handbook’s coverage of company policies
Studying the organizational structure and standard business practices

The Onboarding Process

Even before you hire a new employee, the onboarding process gets started. Then, it continues when you hire the worker, and they begin working.

Additionally, effective onboarding lasts after the new person begins work.

Begin Before You Hire

The first stage of onboarding starts as soon as you have the authority to hire, whether you are filing a vacant position or replacing a departing employee.

When you begin ensuring that the physical environment is prepared is when.

You may complete these tasks in advance because they are prerequisites for all employees and will be the same for whoever you choose to hire.

Get the Physical Space Ready

Is a desk or an office reserved for me? Is it in decent condition? If a lock is present, is the key inside? Is a phone here? Is the phone plugged in?

Get the Computer or Other Needed Tools Ready

Do they have to sign for it when they start, or can you set up the computer now? Ensure that IT has set aside a PC for your new employee.

Ensure the machine is configured with all the software and access rights the user will require for this position.

Is There a Checklist?

Checklists are available from several businesses that can help you with this process. If not, you can create your own from this list if yours doesn’t.

Before the New Employee Starts

You can do other things to improve the onboarding process after you’ve chosen the new hire but before they start.

Get Their Personal Information

From their application, you have the person’s name, Social Security number, etc. Next, ascertain how they prefer to be addressed (e.g., does the person want to be called Bob or Robert).

Notify the Support Departments

Notify the new employee’s name, title, reporting supervisor, start date, and anyone else who needs to be aware of it, including Human Resources (HR), Payroll, Facilities, and Information Technology (IT).

By following up with them, they are prepared in advance for the arrival and onboarding.

Add Them to Distribution Lists

As soon as the new hire joins, make sure IT adds them to the appropriate email distribution lists and establishes the requisite email accounts for them.

As soon as the new employee starts, you want them to receive the proper emails.

Checklist?

Again, each of these different departments might have a checklist. If so, obtain a copy and use it to verify that they are getting ready.

If not, come up with one yourself and tell them.

When the New Employee Starts

As soon as the employee starts working, more of the onboarding process needs to be finished, from a warm welcome to completing the required paperwork and setting them up at their new place of employment.

Conclusion

The earlier you start the onboarding process for a new hire, the greater your probability of swiftly and successfully integrating the hire into the business.