Onboarding: Definition Impacts and implementation

Both a retention and loyalty tool, onboarding is an increasingly popular process for companies.

Especially considering that:

✔️ 80% of newcomers already know if they will stay with the company (or not) during the first 6 months of collaboration;

✔️ New recruits who have benefited from a successful onboarding process are more likely to stay with the company (58%);

✔️ A failed onboarding is estimated to cost between 100% and 300% of the employee's salary, or around €7,000. (recruitment time and administrative management).

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Definition: What is onboarding?

In theory, onboarding is the process of integrating new employees into the workplace in an intelligent manner.

In practice, however, many companies do not manage the integration of a new employee well.

According to a study by Deloitte, 82% of companies consider that they are not ready on D-day.

Knowing that the goal of an onboarding program is to give your new recruits the keys to gain autonomy and work in complete serenity as soon as possible, this can pose serious problems in the long run.

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Therefore, taking an interest in an onboarding process consists of working on:

🎯 The taking up of the position;

🎯 The creation of a social link;

🎯 The rise in skills.

Without forgetting the administrative tasks associated with the arrival of a new recruit. 🖊️

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What is the difference between pre-boarding and onboarding?

Pre-boarding is defined as the period that includes both the recruitment process and the time between contract signing and the first day on the job. On the other hand, onboarding is the period of integration that begins with the employee's arrival at the company. ⏳

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Why should an onboarding procedure be implemented?

According to some studies, it takes between 6 and 8 months for a new employee to be operational without an onboarding path. A successful onboarding process, on the other hand, would result in real autonomy within 3 to 4 months. It is also worth noting that a good onboarding program has an impact on the employer brand.

It is also worth noting that a quality integration process has an impact on the employer brand. Indeed, an employee who feels useful and well integrated in his company is more likely to be retained and hired. In addition, the employee will speak positively about the company to his contacts. This affects your external image (both with new candidates and with your prospects and clients). 🤩

Not to mention that HR onboarding encourages the formation of social bonds and cohesion among members of the same team or company. This affects the work environment and, as a result, employee well-being.

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What are the different stages of an onboarding process?

It is possible to break down your onboarding process into several specific key stages:

📅 The first day;

📅 The first week;

📅 The first month;

📅 The first quarter;

📅 The first half of the year;

📅 The first year.

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The aim is to promote a gradual and serene rise in competence based on specific periods defined in advance.

Being aware of these periods reassures the employee, who will know exactly what to expect, and allows the company to set up specific indicators and control points.

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How to properly integrate new recruits?

Today, it has been discovered that job satisfaction is determined by a variety of factors, including the office atmosphere, the ability to participate in major company decisions, the balance of personal and professional life, and total transparency on the part of the management team.

Obviously, these elements must be integrated into your onboarding process for it to be successful. Here is a checklist of good company practices related to onboarding:

• Sharing a welcome booklet and a precise schedule for the first day and the first week;
• Organizing a breakfast and team-building activities (this can be done at team or company level or even in the form of promotions);
• Allocating a mentor who will be the newcomer's direct contact for as long as necessary;
• Allowing the employee to decorate his or her office as he or she wishes (taking into account the company's charter, of course);
• Definition of short, medium and long term objectives in consultation with the manager;
• Request for the creation of a feedback report in order to provide a fresh look at the company's processes;
• Setting up of regular meetings with Human Resources and the manager;
• Review of HR training needs, soft-skills and hard-skills.

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Remote onboarding: differences and adaptations

With the emergence of teleworking in companies, somehave started to take an interest in setting up remote onboarding processes.

Never showing up at the office can have a real impact on both performance and employee commitment.

Although we are starting from the same basis as for a classic onboarding, it will be necessary to insist on the setting up of more regular meetings and feedback through more or less formal exchange sessions. 💬

The objectives will also have to be more precise and short-term.

Without forgetting to ensure that the remote employee has complete peace of mind with the appropriate tools. This means he or she needs an adequate workspace with a good internet connection, access to all software, and the ability to work easily as part of a team (using shared documents for example).

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How do you measure the success of an onboarding program?

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There are many indicators to measure the success of an onboarding program:

• Employee retention: if the employee has celebrated his or her first anniversary with the company, there is a good chance that he or she will stay for a long time;
• Employee satisfaction: measured by feedback, it is possible to ask for answers to open-ended questions or measurement scales;
• Return on investment: relatively easy to measure for certain positions (number of contracts signed by a new salesperson, for example);
• What other employees think of the newcomer;
• The availability and autonomy of the employee by correlating the number of days needed to reach optimal productivity and the employee's actual productivity;
• The completion rate of shared training.

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These are merely some examples of indicators. It is up to you to select the ones that appear to be most relevant to your company and the position in question.