The first day at work is like a first date...
...exciting, full of expectations and crucial for the (employee) relationship. If you excel here as an employer, you create trust, motivation and long-term loyalty.
In our onboarding guide, we show you how modern onboarding works, including helpful tips and practical examples of how companies can easily perfect their processes.
ONBOARDING-GUIDE:
Turn your new employees into brand ambassadors in just 3 steps!
1. Onboarding begins before the first day
A successful start begins with the first contact - with the job advertisement, the first feedback and the interview. This is where an impression is made that lasts and ultimately makes the difference - for or against a company.
Even at this stage, honest appreciation can be conveyed through open communication. Create clarity, closeness and anticipation right from the start. Giving future employees access to all relevant information at an early stage scores points right from the start.
With a social intranet and an onboarding dashboard, these questions can be answered very easily - clearly, personally and accessible at any time.
→ Appreciation creates trust. And trust is the first step towards employee retention.
Checklist for employers:
- Formulate job advertisements clearly and attractively
- Make application processes digital and simple
- Provide timely feedback to applicants
- Communicate openly and transparently from the outset (expectations, first steps, etc.)
- Provide access to all important information
- Introduce contact persons (manager, team and onboarding buddy)
- ADDITIONAL TIP: With a digital onboarding workflow, all necessary steps can be started automatically after acceptance - from equipment and training to feedback appointments.
IMPORTANT: Remain transparent. Open communication creates appreciation and trust and thus increases the anticipation of the new employer.
2. The first day – welcome to the team
The first day at work is a key moment and very often decisive for the future - the bond with the company.
With a few simple means, you can create a lovingly designed workplace that signals appreciation. Even a sincere "Welcome!" can work wonders.
Make sure that the feeling on the first day is positive, warm and personal. The new team member should not only "arrive", but also feel welcome and wanted.
→ People don't remember every fact - but they do remember feelings.
Checklist for employers:
- Welcome by receptionist
- Pick-up by HR and manager
- Breakfast together with the team or onboarding buddy
- Office tour and introduction of key contacts
- Test logins and accesses together
- Onboarding plan for the first few weeks
- Additonal tip: Small gestures such as a joint lunch, a "Welcome" sign at the workplace or a welcome photo on the intranet will be remembered positively and strengthen the bond.
IMPORTANT: Stay authentic. New employees very quickly sense whether there is genuine appreciation behind it or whether the whole thing is just staged.
3. Sustainable Onboarding – beyond the first day
Onboarding does not end after the first day or the first week. Sustainable integration ensures long-term satisfaction (for both sides). During the probationary period and beyond, regular meetings, feedback sessions and integration into the team are crucial.
Create structures that extend onboarding beyond the start - so that a successful start becomes a lasting relationship.
→ Those who feel valued and involved automatically become brand ambassadors.
Checklist for employers:
- Schedule regular feedback and development meetings
- Onboarding buddy as a permanent contact person
- Actively integrate new employees into the team
- Provide individual further training opportunities (e-learning)
- Recognize successes and express appreciation
- After-work event with the team to get to know each other better
- Additional Tip: Use digital tools to systematically plan feedback cycles, training and development meetings and make them transparent.
IMPORTANT: Sustainable onboarding requires attention. Investing time in the onboarding phase and continuously investing in employees afterwards creates long-term motivation and genuine loyalty.
Patrick Strauß, Managing Director of CORE smartwork knows:
"Poor onboarding costs: Time, energy and, in the end, often the employee. The negative experience is passed on to family and friends and damages the employer's image enormously. Costly marketing campaigns don't usually help."
If the entry is handled hastily, half a year has quickly been invested in vain. This also frustrates existing employees - especially when the next onboarding process is just around the corner.
CORE workflow: Onboarding at its best!
Good onboarding needs structure. Our workflow module in CORE ensures that no task is forgotten: from access to the onboarding dashboard with all the important information for new employees to the automated distribution of tasks - across teams.
Everything runs automatically in the background, everyone knows what needs to be done and knows the responsible contact person. This leaves more time for the most important part of the onboarding process: the future employees.
percent less effort for HR thanks to automated to-dos, reminders and clearly defined responsibilities.
seamless process for everyone involved - from HR management to IT.
Contact us for a free consultation:
Our CORE smartwork experts are ready to show you all the benefits of CORE workflow. Take this opportunity to take your onboarding and HR processes to the next level.