Whether we’re entering our first job after university or have already had a long professional career, we all feel the excitement of embarking on a new adventure when starting a new job.

As well as looking forward to the opportunities ahead, we have lots of questions on our minds:

What will the new company be like?

Who will my new colleagues be?

What will my day-to-day job look like?

What will I need to learn?

What Makes for a Good Onboarding Experience?

A well-structured onboarding program, together with staff who are prepared to welcome the new employee, can make a significant difference in a person’s onboarding experience.

Welcome the new joiner on board early, even before their first day, so they start feeling like a valued member of the team. Preboarding can happen by sending the new hire essential materials about arrival details, contacts, the company, dress code etc.

Booking introduction meetings in the new employee’s calendar before they start make sure they meet the right people straight away. These introductions could include their colleagues and team, other teams and departments, stakeholders and the company’s CEO. Some of these introductions can be made through onboarding materials as well.

Share the company vision

Learning about the company’s mission, vision and values make it easier for the new hire to see the bigger picture and understand each person’s role in the company’s shared mission.

If you’re the new employee’s manager, make sure to book some time in to welcome the new employee and introduce them to their team. Introducing the team’s mission, ways of working and communicating, as well as key contacts will lay a good foundation. The new hire should also be introduced to the other teams and their roles at the company to start networking and establish cooperation for the future.

Put their mind at ease

Having managerial discussions about the employee’s specific role is important, too. Ideally, it will encompass both the company’s expectations as well as the new employee’s wishes. These discussions should continue throughout the onboarding journey (and beyond 😊).

Introducing the HR and administrative functions is an integral part of onboarding. Knowing your tax card details, health care providers and how to log your hours is just as important as understanding your work. Knowing who to contact with different administrative issues is important. Make sure these introductions happen as soon as the new person starts.

Also, arrange for a tour of the workplace. Include information about health and safety matters, workspaces, meeting rooms, on-premise amenities and any other relevant matters.

A solid structure is vital

Good onboarding materials and a new joiner’s learning pathway are important to give structure and consistency to the onboarding journey. Allow people to learn things at their own pace and access materials whenever they need to. This is increasingly important in the hybrid / remote work environment of today. The learning pathway should include live training (or through Teams, Zoom, etc.) with interaction and the opportunity to ask questions.

The best way to feel at home and get acquainted

Last (but certainly not least 😊) are onboarding buddies who can help answer any questions or concerns the new joiner might have during their first weeks and months of employment. Usually, a buddy is someone who works (or has worked) in a similar role, so they know the ins and outs of the new hire’s day-to-day job. This way, they’re able to help the new employee learn about their daily tasks, tools and programs used. If the buddy is working in a similar role, they might also use job shadowing as a way of enhancing and accelerating the new employee’s learning.

With the above steps included in your onboarding program, you should be well on your way to giving your employees a nice onboarding experience.