5 Reasons to Better Your Candidate Onboarding Process
Published: 09/09/2021
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In today’s article, we will discuss candidate onboarding. The goal is to explore the impact of effective practices on the business. We will also provide tips for developing an effective onboarding process and how digital timekeeping software can enhance it.
Congratulations! After reviewing hundreds of CVs and conducting several interview rounds, you have found the right hire. However, there are still a couple of hoops to jump through, all of which fall under the umbrella term known as onboarding.
You should have a process in place for every new starter to follow. While each company's approach may differ, it is going to look different. But ultimately it’s all about collecting legal documents and introducing new employees to your company’s processes. Some believe this is all that's necessary and adhere to the minimum requirements. However, we believe there are five reasons to streamline this process using digital solutions. Join us in exploring them.
Onboarding helps bring new hires up to speed. It is also a legal obligation for employers to ensure they have sufficient documentation for their workers. Although it sounds simple and self-explanatory, onboarding is much deeper and has a significantly greater impact on businesses.
Employers often don’t view building a positive candidate experience as part of their strategy, nor do they recognise it as something that significantly depends on onboarding. This negligence can hinder the development of a relationship with the new hire and directly impact your business's reputation.
Research shows that candidates are highly likely to share their onboarding experiences within their inner circles. 81% of candidates have informed their friends and family about positive interactions, while 66% would discuss experiences that were less than pleasant. These figures are substantially higher than the feedback candidates provide on social media, where the business can engage in responses. This illustrates the power of word-of-mouth communication.
What this means to you is that the experience you provide through onboarding reaches audiences you wouldn’t normally tap into and shapes your brand's image in their eyes. A single instance of the onboarding process being described as stressful and unpleasant can impact your future ability to attract new talent.
Tip: The key to building a positive candidate experience lies in making the onboarding process hassle-free. For starters, reduce the amount of paperwork required and centralise the submission and storage of documentation. A digital onboarding solution will do the job.
It allows employees to upload, review, and update relevant information in one place. Additionally, it will always be easily accessible for review. This is one of the features we offer as part of our Project software.
The purpose of onboarding is to help your new hire become productive as quickly as possible. The sooner they begin contributing, the faster your company’s productivity can increase.
Effective onboarding allows new starters to adjust to your processes at a gradual yet swift pace. Not having a procedure in place throws them into the deep end to figure things out on their own. This will negatively impact their overall experience, the dangers of which we’ve already discussed. Additionally, this can cause significant delays in their readiness to start executing their duties effectively.
All this affects your current team as well. The smaller number of vacant positions means they don’t need to spread themselves too thin in attempts to cover several roles at once. To support this, statistics show that good onboarding practices lead to a 50% increase in productivity.
Tip: The quickest and most efficient way to achieve successful onboarding involves automation. For example, Mastercard sends every new hire an automated email containing a set of videos explaining the company's values and operational systems. The email also includes an invitation to the onboarding platform where they can upload their documentation.
Onboarding goes beyond document submission and compliance; it provides an opportunity to establish the foundation for employee retention.
The process provides candidates with a glimpse of the company’s culture, values, and mission. It also allows them to envision their personal and professional growth moving forward. Through onboarding, your new hires can identify connections between their personal goals and those of the business.
It’s a great way to provide them with a clear understanding of the overall atmosphere within the company, as well as to show them how they will contribute to nurturing and developing the culture moving forward.
Tip: Are there any essential documents, such as brand guidelines, style guides, or other similar materials, that the employee needs to familiarise themselves with? If so, ensure everything is stored in a centralised data library and is easily accessible. Additionally, introduce and arrange training sessions for any digital tools, such as online timesheets or a CRM, to ensure they are used correctly.
Effective onboarding fosters a rapport between new hires and management, potentially evolving into a strong, trust-based connection over time. Being attentive, personal, and genuinely helpful nurtures seeds of loyalty in new hires from the very beginning. This is an opportunity not to be missed.
In our previous article, we discussed how even small aspects like expense management can significantly impact relationship building. Onboarding is the time when they should begin to be introduced.
Tip: Be honest, transparent, and empathetic. You must communicate and manage the expectations of both parties during the onboarding stage. Put yourself in their shoes and identify the key information they need. Then provide it before they ask. Show them you want them to learn every aspect of the business, not just the ones directly related to their duties.
Effective onboarding is the cornerstone of long-term success. It provides the first impression to the employee, establishes expectations and boundaries, and offers growth opportunities.
When done right, onboarding creates loyal, results-driven, and company-oriented employees. A smooth, gradual process helps them begin applying their skills as soon as possible. With that, they start contributing to business goals and become motivated to grow together with the company.
Tip: Onboarding is a two-way street. It allows both you and the candidate to determine whether you’re a good match. Don’t feel discouraged about letting the candidate go during onboarding if it becomes clear they’re not a good fit. Ultimately, you are doing them a favour by allowing them to find a better environment in which to thrive.
The importance of onboarding must not be underestimated. It fills a gap in your team with someone who has the right skill set and helps them get up to speed more quickly. Additionally, it contributes to your long-term goals.
Employee retention builds loyalty, good publicity, and accelerated growth. The foundation of that is an effective and smooth onboarding process. Today's technology can streamline it through automation, centralisation, and tailoring of individual approaches.
At Anfold Software, we have gone above and beyond to create a hassle-free onboarding system. We’ve put so much thought into it that we couldn’t keep it to ourselves. That’s why we have integrated it into our products so you can benefit from it too.
Curious to learn about our onboarding process? Book a demo, and we will guide you through it.