Onboarding

Glossary > Onboarding

What Does Onboarding Mean?

The goal of onboarding an employee is to smoothly transition them into their new role at your company. Whether they’re transitioning internally or a new hire – employees in a new role need the right tools to succeed. Onboarding is a critical part of the candidate journey and can make the difference between a successful hire and an unsuccessful one. It’s important to make sure a new employee feels comfortable and prepared for their new role. Their success is reliant on your preparation and organization before they even start on day one.

What Does Good Onboarding Look Like?

A good onboarding program involves things like:

  • Easy access new hire paperwork (digital signing is an important feature)
  • Onboarding checklist for new hires
  • Introduction to company mission, values, and goals
  • A place for “everything to know” for day one
  • Begin the learning process (training, certifications, etc.)
  • A place for new hires to ask questions
  • A 30-60-90 plan for the new employee

Think of an onboarding program as a continuation of the interview process. Communication with a new hire shouldn’t drop off between accepting an offer and their first day. There are tons of ways to engage your new employee before they begin work! Consider sending over documents for them to review and sign, send orientation videos, or communicate through texting to answer any questions.

What are the Four Phases of Onboarding?

While onboarding is different for each role and organization, there are four common phases of onboarding. These steps of onboarding help new hires get settled in their roles and set up for success. The four phases of onboarding consist of:

  • Orientation – Teach your new hire about your organization by introducing them to team members, your company’s mission and values, policies, and the employee handbook. Orientation can start even before day one by offering access to documents early for reviewing and signing.
  • Training – Train a new hire on their role with daily tasks, responsibilities, current projects, and any other information they need. Training works best when your organization has processes for new hires to look back to when needed. This is an ongoing process for a new hire that can last weeks or months.
  • Transition - As new hires become more comfortable, leadership will need to help them gain a solid understanding of their roles to be fully productive. Ensure managers have the tools needed to upskill and train new hires. Transitioning an employee from a new hire to productive in their role can take time and training.
  • Development – Ongoing development for a new hire can consist of career tracks, professional certifications, or even promotions. Keep the conversation ongoing with your new employee on their goals and desires for their time in your organization.

What is an Onboarding Checklist?

Onboarding checklists are useful for new hires to keep track of tasks that they need to complete for onboarding. These can include everything from reviewing employee handbooks and signing agreements to watching orientation videos and scheduling introduction meetings. Put together a checklist in your onboarding platform to help new hires stay on task, especially in those first few days where they aren’t sure what they should be doing.

More on Onboarding

Learn more about onboarding in your organization from Jobvite. Check out these resources for more information, or read our blog and check out our Resource Library!