After the daunting task of recruitment, comes onboarding. While it simply means that the HR conducts an induction program to help the new joinees know more about the company, it does not take time for the whole process to go south if it is not handles properly. According to a recent study on the employees who left within 3 months after joining, had no idea what the company goals are and what is their contribution to company.
Understandably with many HRs still doing their work manually (approx. 85%), they tend to overlook or just be brief about onboarding. While there are many articles about how to conduct an onboarding program effectively, we will touch upon what not to do in it.
Here are 4 major onboarding mistakes HR make with new recruits:
Paperwork
We all have gone through the cumbersome, tedious paperwork that is inevitable on the first day. While it does not necessarily mean that your onboarding process is wrong, this process can be completely automated. The candidate then need not to spend the whole day just filling up paper. With an automated HRMS software like Pocket HRMS, you can have the new joinees fill in their details along with their documents at leisure. This helps you to design the first day/onboarding program more effectively.
Being mobile, Pocket HRMS also gives the joinees an option to upload documents from their phone and even when they are not in the office, hence, making filing and compiling data easier and without any problems.
Not scheduling the first day
One of the biggest mistakes in an onboarding process you can do is not scheduling the first day. Experts recommend emailing the schedule of their first day to new recruits, on the day before his / her joining. This makes them composed and relaxed and looking forward to the day without the feeling of lost or being out of place. It is very important to think according to the employee’s perception, especially when it comes to the first day.
Apart from keeping the new recruit’s desk, computer, login details ready, you can also make office merchandises like a water bottle, t-shirt, pen, with the company logo. Going the extra mile, you could also get it customized to the joinees. This not only adds a personal touch but also makes the joinees feel good that their needs are taken care of beforehand. Some HR professionals also recommend, a half-hour cake party for the new recruits introducing them to their teams, this will create a buzz and a lively atmosphere rather than the usual mundane one and will give you HRs, something to look forward to other than your regular administrative tasks.
Cultural adaption
This is the slow and steady process and often ignored or left at the mercy of time. Every organization has a culture, some may be completely work oriented while some would believe in having a work-life balance and some more, giving completely liberal and creative freedom to their employees.
Since it takes a long time for new joiners to adapt to a company’s culture, HR can help smooth the process by talking about it during the onboarding process. This helps the employees to be connected with the company since day 1 and be less ambiguous about their roles and expectations from the job.
On the self-service portal provided by Pocket HRMS, an employee can be updated of all the policies of the company, general rules and regulations and upcoming events, hence, the HR can save time by skipping it altogether and brief the joinees more on how can they adapt to the company’s culture faster.
Every team also have their own cultures which may or may not be in line with the company’s culture. The HR also needs to help the new joinee, adapt to their team by briefing them beforehand. Presence of managers during these sessions is recommended.
Follow-ups
This is definitely not even considered, not while onboarding and not through the joinee’s stay in the company. Communication is a key element in every relationship even in employer and employee and one forerunner and mediators for communication in the company are HRs.
Once the new joinees have signed their agreement and come on board, if you stop communicating with them, this may increase the chance of leaving them into the dead zone. Small conversations with them, their managers, helps in recognizing and filling their skill gaps. The new joiners will also know they have someone they can approach in need.
Onboarding processes can be customized for certain designations or skill sets, this helps in grasping the information better and faster. If you have any more ideas, get in touch with us on Twitter or Facebook. To enquire about Pocket HRMS, or write to us at sales@pockethrms.com
