This post was originally published on lessonly.com.
Given that you and I live in a galaxy that isn’t far far away, having a process for onboarding new employees means more than just bringing a new set of hands onto the Millennium Falcon. While commonly overlooked, making the first few days of your new employee’s job a welcoming and learning environment can have lasting effects on team morale and your company’s efficiency.
Welcome your newest crew member
By this point in the process, everyone’s goals should be within the same galactic system. You want an awesome employee in a position that can handle the work and then some. They want a stable position where they can grow to work seamlessly with the rest of your team. Your existing team wants someone who fits within the process and brings value. The sooner that everyone can start working toward the common goal, the better.
Easing the transition period for new employees is key to moving the group forward. On the first day, make introductions to as many existing employees as you can, not just the ones within the new hire’s team. The more friendly faces they see the more quickly they will feel a part of the bigger picture.
Automate the learning
Just make sure the learning doesn’t feel like a lecture from C3-PO. Automated learning doesn’t have to mean robotic or disconnected, it should seem seamless and effective. Lessonly by Seismic allows for company stakeholders to send new hires a lesson on what they need to know for their first day. This can be anything from their HR paperwork and policies to when the company Christmas party is each year and what inside jokes they need to pick up on to make it at your company.
Lessonly by Seismic has automation built in to make onboarding a new employee easier than ever. Once their new email has been set, admins can assign due dates for lessons with polite reminders a week before, a day before, and the day when it is due. You can design a week’s worth of engaging, searchable, and trackable lessons for all new employees and have them assigned with the click of a button.
Most of all, make the learning authentic
This is probably the most important point in personalizing your onboarding process. The first few days and weeks are going to show your new hire what you guys are all about, so be yourself. There’s nothing worse than keeping a huge secret only to spring it on someone at the wrong time — just ask Darth Vader.
If new hire policy is to head out to lunch for their first day, do everything in your power to make it happen. Explain as many of the office jokes as you can, don’t leave the new guy hanging. By bringing new employees into the fold and showing them who your company is, you expedite the time in which it takes your team to benefit from the added value that you saw within your new employee before bringing them on board. Implement a few of these tips and you’ll be making the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs in no time.
Interested in upgrading your onboarding process? Download our Free Onboarding Flow Chart to send your process into light-speed. And if you want to integrate Lessonly by Seismic into your team, get a demo.
