Glossary: HR & Recruiting Definitions
Onboarding refers to the process of introducing and integrating a new employee into an organization. The process begins when a job offer has been accepted and ends when the new hire is competent in the organizational processes and performing as expected in their new role.
Onboarding consists of varied activities, and each organization determines how long it lasts. Most commonly, onboarding new employees takes a few months, but in some cases, it can last a few weeks or as long as a year.
A successful onboarding needs to provide a new employee with all the information and resources they will need to acclimatize as smoothly as possible into the organization and their new role. Here are some topics to cover while onboarding new employees:
Onboarding also includes the preparation and setup for the new employee’s first day. Here is what should be done beforehand:
These days, it is not uncommon for new employees to participate in virtual onboarding. In many ways, virtual onboarding is not so different from in-person onboarding, but a few extra steps should be considered:
Make sure new employees have laptops, headphones, and whatever else they need to participate in the virtual onboarding and start working from day one.
Help new employees feel like part of the team from the start by sending them small welcome gifts like company-branded notepads, pens, or mugs.
Send out HR-related documents before to save everyone’s time and demonstrate your company is well-organized.
Virtual onboarding means missing out on opportunities for organic socializing. Integrate break-out rooms for smaller groups or individuals to get to know each other. Provide ice-breaker questions or conversation topics to make it easier.
Pair a new employee with an existing employee, so they have a designated person to answer their questions and help navigate the ins and outs of the company.
While onboarding and training sometimes take place at the same time, they are not the same. Here are some of their main differences:
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