Creating a Simple & Intuitive Onboarding Process

Nearly 9 out of 10 Organizations should be Improving Their Onboarding

Only 12% of employees believe their organization does a great job at onboarding new hires." --Gallup

Isn't that a little bit mind-boggling?

This past August, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there are 158,732,000 people employed in the United States. According to Gallup's research, 139,684,160 of those employed Americans believe their employers did not do a great job onboarding them to their current position. This creates a HUGE opportunity for our companies to set ourselves apart from the competition.

So how do we do this? How do we make sure we are a part of the 12%? 

It's all about onboarding.

Start with Structure for Your Onboarding Process

For a simple and intuitive onboarding process, it is important that we focus on our structure. If we don't focus on our structure, we'll lose it! Without a solid structure, our people will be confused, unprepared and discouraged starting their new positions. 

New employees want a process of onboarding that is organized and clearly communicates what their role is. That being said, it is important to remember that onboarding is not a one-size-fits-all process. We have to figure out what works for us! 

Onboarding Questions to Help Improve Your Process

A great place to start creating your simple and intuitive onboarding process is to answer the Five Questions of Onboarding. Try to answer these questions as simply as you can.

1. What do we believe in? (Company Mission and Vision)
2. What are my strengths? (What makes the employee a great fit for this position)
3. What is my role? (What do you expect the employee to do)
4. Who are my partners? (Who will help your employee meet those expectations)
5. What does my future look like here? (What happens if your employee meets those expectations)

Below, we'll go into more depth on each of these questions and how you can answer them for your organization.

1. What do We Believe in?

Your company's mission and vision statement provides a framework for your organization's actions and decisions. By sharing it with your new team members during the onboarding process, they can grasp your company's culture and align their objectives with your overall vision.

It's also vital to ensure that your company's mission and vision statement is woven into every aspect of the onboarding process. Communicate your company's mission and vision statement during orientation with materials like brochures, and videos.  This means that every component, from training to team-building activities, should embody your values and goals. By doing so, your new employees can quickly grasp what your organization represents and what is expected of them.

2. What are my strengths? (What makes the employee a great fit for this position)

Creating an onboarding process for new employees can be a challenging task. One important aspect to consider is identifying their unique strengths and how they can be leveraged in their new role.

To identify an employee's strengths, you can conduct a thorough assessment of their skills, experiences, and previous job performance. This can be done through interviews, assessments, and feedback from previous employers or colleagues.

Once you have identified an employee's strengths, you can create a tailored onboarding process that focuses on developing these skills. This can include targeted training, mentorship opportunities, and job shadowing programs. By doing so, you can help new employees feel more confident in their role, improve their job performance, and increase their overall job satisfaction.

3. What is my role? (What do you expect the employee to do)

To effectively communicate an employee's role, it's important to provide a detailed job description that outlines their responsibilities and duties.  It's also important to provide new employees with an understanding of how their role fits into the larger organizational structure. This can include introducing them to their team members, managers, and other stakeholders, as well as explaining how their work contributes to the company's overall goals and objectives.

During the onboarding process, it's important to provide new employees with the tools and resources they need to be successful in their roles. This can include access to necessary software and technology, training on company policies and procedures, and ongoing support from their managers and colleagues.

Overall, providing new employees with a clear understanding of their role and expectations can help to ensure their success within the organization. By setting clear expectations and providing the necessary resources and support, you can help new employees feel confident and prepared to take on their new role.

4. Who are my partners? (Who will help your employee meet those expectations)

During the onboarding process, it's important to introduce new employees to their partners and stakeholders and provide opportunities for them to build relationships and establish lines of communication. This can include team-building activities, introductions to key stakeholders, and training sessions with cross-functional partners.

One important partner for new employees is their manager or supervisor. This individual is responsible for overseeing the employee's work, providing feedback and guidance, and ensuring that they have the resources they need to succeed. It's important to establish clear lines of communication and expectations between the new employee and their manager from the start of the onboarding process.

Other key partners for new employees may include their team members, human resources representatives, and cross-functional partners in other departments. These individuals can provide support in areas such as training, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

5. What does my future look like here? (What happens if your employee meets those expectations)

As part of an effective onboarding process for new employees, it's important to provide a clear understanding of what their future may look like within the organization if they meet their expectations and perform well in their role. It's important to provide employees with clear pathways for career development and growth, including opportunities for training, mentorship, and ongoing skill development. By doing so, you can help employees feel valued and supported, which can lead to increased job satisfaction and retention.

One way to communicate the future potential within the organization is by sharing the success stories of other employees who have advanced their careers within the company. This can include examples of promotions, job rotations, and new skill development opportunities that have helped employees grow and excel in their careers.

Another way to communicate future potential is by sharing details about the company's overall growth trajectory, including plans for expansion and new business initiatives. This can help employees understand how their work contributes to the company's overall success and how they can play a role in driving that success in the future.

In Conclusion

While these answers will help keep your process simple, intuition is harder to accomplish. A great rule to live by when it comes to intuitive onboarding is to take the next best step. The next thing you ask your employee to learn or master should build on the previous step in the onboarding process. This may be the most difficult part to create, but you will not regret spending time and energy here.  

Do you need help knowing what the next best step is, or developing a more streamlined onboarding process? You can book a call with us here––we'd love to help!