This post was originally published by Jenny Boling on lessonly.com.
In today’s candidate-driven market where competition for talent is steadily increasing, organizations need to go above and beyond to attract high-quality employees. But the work isn’t done once you hire the right person for the job. It’s then up to you to create a strong and modern onboarding experience that engages new employees and improves your employer brand to recruit better candidates in the future.
And while this may sound like a pretty in-depth process, we’ve got good news. There are onboarding platforms, like Lessonly by Seismic, that teams can use to create an onboarding program that’s engaging and way better than the onboarding programs of yesterday.
Online employee onboarding tools make it easy to build, deliver, and track your new employee onboarding efforts. The best onboarding software not only makes it easy for employers to use, but also creates a seamless learning experience for your new hires. By incorporating an online training system into your onboarding strategy, you can easily create best-in-class onboarding systems. And by following the 4 phases of onboarding properly, you’ll be on track to give your new teammates the best welcome they’ve ever experienced.
How to use an onboarding tool throughout the 4 phases of onboarding
Solid employee onboarding solutions lay the groundwork for the rest of your new hire’s experience with your company. By the time onboarding makes the transition to ongoing training and enablement, your new employee will have an in-depth understanding of the organization’s culture and values, tools they’ll be using, and specifics around their role and responsibilities. Let’s take a closer look at how an onboarding platform can make the four phases of onboarding more effective, efficient, and engaging.
Pre-board new teammates during phase 1: forming
Yes, there’s plenty of work to do before a new teammate even walks into the office or virtually logs-in on their first day. This is actually a very crucial time for your new hires because they’re the most uncertain of what lies ahead. So, you want your onboarding software to create a feeling of excitement and confidence. Is there paperwork to fill out? Location or software arrangements to be made? What about a schedule that outlines what to expect on their first day? All things that can be taken care of in the pre-onboarding stage.
Where an onboarding platform comes in: A digital onboarding system helps new hires get acquainted and familiar with the company faster. During this stage we believe visuals and on-demand access to info are key. Onboarding software is a great way to deliver everything from virtual intros to any new hire paperwork they should have filled out ahead of time. This can all be a lot to take in so make sure that everything is stored in your onboarding system so new hires can revisit information as they need.
Welcome new hires in phase 2: storming
Now it’s time to get these people acclimated with their new organization and team! This is when it’s best to share details of their role, facilitate intros with other team members, give tours, and start integrating them into team and cross-functional meetings. We recommend keeping this phase as simple and welcoming as possible. During the end of the second phase, you may want to organize a quick check-in with your new hires to make sure they are feeling welcomed and adjusting well.
Where an onboarding platform comes in: Digital onboarding benefits include the freedom to click around within content that’s specific to a new hire’s role. A personalized introduction to what a day-in-the-life will look like goes a long way and allows new reps to gain both high-level and specific information about their role. It’s also a great way to give your new hires a look at what’s ahead in the week’s to come so they can prepare and ask questions.
Deliver role-specific training during phase 3: norming
It’s time to move on from hand shakes and intros to the nitty gritty of the role. This is where an employee starts to become comfortable with their new surroundings and move beyond learning the basics of the company. Without this phase of more formal training, your employee may not know what it takes to thrive. Employee onboarding tools make it easy to create a well-drafted new hire training plan that focuses on development and training. Familiarize them with your learning management system and explore different types of learning techniques so they know you’re equipped to handle all of them.
Where an onboarding platform comes in: Digital employee onboarding is great in this phase because it gives employees the freedom to come back at their own time. The opportunity to learn at their own pace and re-visit concepts drastically improves training engagement and overall comprehension. This also means that they won’t have to tap someone’s shoulder to get answers because it’s all in one place within the platform.
Transition to ongoing learning in stage 4: performing
This is when an employee begins to provide true added value to the team. And we for one just love seeing employees blossom from new hire to a full-fledged employee. In this phase, managers should set clear expectations for their new team members so they are aware of their ongoing responsibilities. Be sure to also reiterate that they’ll continue to receive ongoing enablement and support for long-term success.
Where an onboarding platform comes in: This is where practicing and coaching begin! Once a new hire has been onboarded, it’s critical to continue employee development with ongoing training and educational opportunities. This will keep them engaged and feel valued. Be sure to find an onboarding platform that makes it possible to deliver personalized coaching and training at scale so learning is custom to each employee’s progress and career path.
Get started with Lessonly by Seismic’s employee onboarding software
If you’re ready to roll out the red carpet and welcome your new hires in a special way, take a look at Lessonly’s online onboarding and training software. Not only can we help you create an onboarding program that engages and excites your new hires, but we can also help you deliver ongoing training that will help everyone succeed in the long-run. Learn more.
