Research shows that effective onboarding can improve new hire retention by as much as 82% and boost employee productivity by over 70%. But despite this, almost a third (32%) of people describe their onboarding experience as confusing, 24% as boring, and 74% as unsuccessful. 

Effective onboarding doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require careful planning and implementation. We’ve laid out the fundamental steps needed to create an onboarding process that is scalable, engaging, and most importantly, repeatable. 

What do new employees want from their onboarding? 

When it comes to onboarding, what do new employees want from the experience? A recent survey found: 

• 72% say one-on-one time with their manager is essential 
• 67% want clear expectations for their role  
• 56% prioritize building relationships with coworkers 
• 54% want to understand company culture and values 
• 51% want to feel welcomed as part of the team immediately 

These objectives aren’t achieved by overloading new employees with admin and compliance paperwork on their first day, like many onboarding processes still do. Instead, organizations need to create engaging experiences that encompass their administrative needs/obligations while simultaneously meeting the expectations of their new employees.  

Below are six key steps to structured onboarding that checks all the right boxes: 

1. Don’t rush the process 

One of the biggest reasons why onboarding fails (or doesn’t take place at all), is because organizations simply don’t allocate enough time for it. Most HR experts agree that onboarding should take at least three months for new employees, with regular check-ins and course corrections as needed. However, 43% of companies allocate just one day or less to the process, often leaving employees feeling overwhelmed and underprepared. Taking the time to onboard new employees properly pays huge dividends over the ensuing weeks, months and years in terms of productivity, loyalty and much more, so don’t cut it short.

2. Start preboarding new employees early 

Onboarding doesn’t start when employees come in for their first day. It starts the moment they accept their job offer. Effective onboarding processes use the time between job acceptance and an employee’s first day to complete compliance and administrative tasks digitally (either via email or online portals), start orientating them, and make them feel welcome. Doing so means employees can hit the ground running much more effectively on their first day, rather than filling in large amounts of paperwork. 

3. Make sure day one is culture-driven, not paperwork-driven 

Every new employee’s first day in the workplace should focus on comfort, connection, and celebration rather than overwhelming amounts of new information. Simple tasks like having desks and IT equipment set up and ready to go make them feel welcome, while time with colleagues and managers helps with rapid integration. If preboarding has been completed effectively, paperwork and admin can be kept to a minimum, while a mentor or buddy can be assigned to show them the ropes and get them orientated quickly. 

4. Set clear objectives and expectations  

Setting clearly defined goals and metrics for a new employee’s first 30, 60, and 90 days is a great way to measure progress and ensure they stay on track in terms of productivity and proficiency. At the same time, it’s important that any goals and metrics set don’t over-pressure new employees, which can have adverse or unwanted effects.  Research shows it can take new employees an average of 12 months to reach full productivity, and up to two years to reach the same productivity levels as existing employees in complex roles. Structured onboarding can play a significant role in hitting these levels sooner, provided the targets set are realistic and achievable. 

5. Use employee feedback to refine over time  

Effective onboarding isn’t one-size-fits-all. Every organization is unique, and it usually takes time (and multiple iterations) to really nail the process.  Employee feedback plays a critical role, helping to spot issues and refine key aspects for future participants. Make feedback a central to your onboarding process and don’t be afraid to make changes if/when necessary.  

6. Utilize automated workflow solutions for consistency and repeatability  

The best onboarding programs are the ones that don’t rely on overstretched HR employees and manual workflows to succeed. Fortunately, the emergence of orchestrated workflow automation solutions has already helped thousands of businesses streamline their onboarding processes from end-to-end, taking pressure off HR teams by enabling them to create efficient and consistent onboarding workflows that can be initiated at the click of a button, whenever required. For example, Nintex Automation CE lets users digitize forms, integrate siloed systems, create custom workflows, automate preboarding/onboarding processes and track employee progress. Doing so saves time and eliminates repetitive manual work, all while ensuring every new employee receives the same great onboarding experience.  

Effective onboarding is all about nailing the fundamentals, not reinventing the wheel. However, the perceived complexity of it can often lead to key aspects being neglected or falling through the cracks, leaving new employees feeling confused and overwhelmed. This blog provides a clear template organizations can use as the foundation for their onboarding process, underpinned by powerful technology that helps to eliminate errors and deliver consistency at every stage.  

Learn more about how to enhance the employee onboarding experience with Nintex