Onboarding
When companies take an employee “on board” in a planned and structured way, they shorten the induction time and increase satisfaction.
A regular structured dialogue with the new employee is also part of professional onboarding. Our software offers the option of storing formalized forms for special onboarding employee interviews and defining timelines for conducting the interviews.
rexx Talent Management automatically reminds the supervisor and the employee of defined feedback discussions and monitors the documentation of the results. Due to the convenient evaluation options, a negative development quickly becomes clear – countermeasures can be taken.
Onboarding process
rexx Onboarding supports the entry process with extensive functions.It starts with providing the equipment for a new employee – including office furniture, technology, IT, benefits or organizational measures such as onboarding conversation after the first week of work.
The rexx Talent Management Software module to define a concrete workflow that bindingly determines by whom, what, and at what point in time must be provided or completed. The system checks the established timelines and reminds those responsible of the respective tasks.
Onboarding Management with information transfer
The onboarding management software provides central or specialist information for new employees in the portal via the rexx blogs and the so-called information stream. Many things are often self-explanatory for a well-rehearsed team that a new employee cannot yet understand.
Automatic references to task-specific blogs or documents and reminders of generally relevant mandatory information close gaps in communication and ensure smooth onboarding.
Onboarding - emotional aspects
In addition to the functional aspects, rexx Onboarding also plays an important role with regards to emotional aspects. rexx HR provides support for this with the social media functions in its Enterprise Social Network. New employees can gain insight into communication within the company and between colleagues as well as on professional subjects before joining the company and can take part in exchanges with the new colleagues.
A regular structured dialogue with a new employee is also a component of professional onboading processes. Our software offers the opportunity of storing formalised forms for special onboarding employee discussions and for defining timelines for holding the meetings.
rexx Talent Management reminds managers and employees of set feedback meetings and monitors the documentation of the results. The easy-to-use evaluation options make it easy to spot any negative developments – allowing countermeasures to be put in place.
GDPR-compliant onboarding tool
Our data centers in Germany and Switzerland ensure compliance with European data protection regulations and are also ISO certified.
Playful elements of the onboarding software
Playful elements – the so-called “gamification” – support the emotionally positive and early involvement of new people. For example, via the team quiz, in which you have to assign the names of colleagues based on the photos to then find out more about them in their profile.
Mobile Onboarding
The onboarding functions are available to the new employees directly in the self-service portal of the corporate social network. New people can comfortably participate in digital company communication and knowledge exchange from home or on the go, or get to know the team playfully. Or they use the self-service functions to supplement their master data or skills and to submit applications for introductory events, for example.
Onboarding Management
A regular, structured dialogue with the new employee is also part of professional onboarding.
Our onboarding software allows you to store formalized forms for special onboarding employee interviews and define timelines for conducting the interviews.
Onboarding Management: The four phases of onboarding
Phase 1: Preboarding phase – before the first day of work
The onboarding process begins when the contract is signed. Even before the first day of work, the employer can specifically ensure that they build a positive relationship with the new employee.
The organizational tasks include:
- Provision of important documents by the employee, e.g. Social security card, health insurance, tax ID
- Setting up the workplace with all necessary authorizations
- Naming contact persons
- Welcome letter with schedule for the first day of work (onboarding guide)
- Important information and insights into the company (corporate mission statement, organizational chart)
Phase 2: Welcome and introduction on the first day of work
The first day of work starts for the new employee with an introductory meeting, for example by the manager. In addition to organizational things, such as handing over the keys and an information folder with the induction plan, it is also conceivable to hand over a small welcome package and business cards.
The first day of work should contain some spare time to allow for small talk with godparents and teammates, for example during a shared lunch break. A tour of the company and individual discussions with important people, such as team and department leaders, can also be planned to introduce the new colleague. It also makes sense to have a feedback discussion with an introduction by your superior.
In the following days, the employee can be systematically familiarized with important processes (e.g. applying for vacation) or safety regulations and provided with information and important documents. To avoid being overwhelmed, you should not be overwhelmed with a lot of information on the first day.
Phase 3: Professional training and social integration during the probationary period
A patent system can be helpful to train the new employee as quickly as possible during the probationary period. This means that a direct contact person is available at any time for technical, personal or organizational questions.
Systematic technical induction and social integration into the team is best achieved using an individual induction plan that is drawn up in advance and documents tasks, projects and work goals.
Important knowledge can be imparted through internal or external training and education. Introductory events help to familiarize new colleagues with the company, team building events or company outings outside of working hours help with integration into the team.
Phase 4: Employee retention after the probationary period
Feedback discussions are useful during induction, which provide orientation for both the employer and the employee and clarify how satisfied both sides are and where support is still needed. The team as well as the mentor and the superiors should always have an open ear to deal with any possible uncertainties.
Regular employee discussions and structured notes in all phases ultimately help to decide whether the new employee will be taken on after the probationary period or not.
In the event of a takeover, onboarding goes directly into talent management to offer employees opportunities for further development and strengthen employee loyalty.
What should onboarding achieve?
Onboarding involves integrating new employees into the organization based on a systematic induction program. From the perspective of the new hire, onboarding should fulfill these tasks:
- Learn tasks as quickly as possible
- Familiarize yourself with the company structure and processes
- Build contacts with work colleagues and customers
- Get to know information processes
- Familiarize yourself with the corporate culture, values and philosophy
- Get to know the company’s goals and growth strategy
- Find out areas of responsibility and expectations
It is important that the new employee gets to know the department, colleagues and managers. In order for onboarding to work, the company should always respond personally to the new employee and take their strengths and talents into account. Individual support is more important than a fixed training plan so that the newcomer does not feel overwhelmed or under-challenged.
How can the employer prepare onboarding?
Onboarding requires good preparation by the employer. These tasks need to be completed:
- Create a schedule and email it to the new employee
- Determine the workplace and set it up with all important work equipment
- Send brochures about the company’s products in advance
- Create an organizational chart
- Handbook with basic rules, values and customs
- Appoint contact persons for various areas
- Set up passwords and E-Mail-Access
At the beginning, the newcomer is helped by a team board on which all employees are noted with names, functions and photos.
What content should onboarding software cover?
Ideally, the company uses numerous tools in the onboarding process to support training:
- Induction plans
- Education, training and workshops
- Target agreements
- Meetings and video conferences with other colleagues
- Information brochures
- Checklists as a guide
- Contact details of employees
- and of course, onboarding software 🚀
To provide support, employers can rely on onboarding software that simplifies a wide range of tasks, from planning to administrative matters to contacting you.
To make it easier for new employees to get started, it is helpful to provide them with a buddy or mentor who is well anchored in the company and has been working here for a long time. A designated contact person can help to eliminate ambiguities, understand internal processes more quickly and make contacts.
Team building measures help to integrate employees socially into the company and allow them to find their place in the team. This in turn has a positive effect on cooperation with work colleagues and superiors.
What steps does an onboarding process involve?
Onboarding is a process that begins with the end of the recruitment process and the signing of the employment contract and is divided into several steps:
Step 1: Gather company information
The employer should provide the new employee with important information before their first day of work. These include, for example:
- Key information about the company
- Site plans
- Contact details
- Benefits
- Leisure offers
- Training plan with dates
Step 2: Query employee data
Conversely, the company also needs information from the new team member. This is done either by manually completing a staff questionnaire or by using a web-based program.
In the first variant, the employees of the HR department have to evaluate the personnel form and transfer the data recorded therein to the employee file. In the case of a web-based program, the applicant enters their data online, which is then transferred directly to the HR information system.
Step 3: Design your first day of work
Ideally, the new hire gets to know his colleagues and superiors during an introduction session on the first day of work. But there are also other points to consider:
- Get to know the workplace and equipment
- Discuss the induction plan in detail
- Tour of the company
Step 4: Introduce workflows
In the following days and weeks, it will be a matter of introducing the new hire well into the work processes. Accompaniment by a buddy, discussions with your superior and participation in training courses are ideal for this.
The newcomer should bring their specialist knowledge into the company as quickly as possible, work independently, get to know their tasks and be accepted into the workforce.
Step 5: Conduct employee interviews (give and receive feedback)
Especially in the onboarding phase, it is important to have regular conversations with the employee to discuss mutual expectations and wishes.
Any problems, ambiguities and discrepancies can be identified and resolved early. The employee should have the feeling that they are taken seriously and feel that they are in good hands in the company.
These appraisals not only give the newcomer valuable feedback, but also serve to obtain feedback on the onboarding process. This allows companies to check to what extent the measures are working and in which areas there is potential for improvement.
What are the goals of onboarding and what benefits does it bring?
When done correctly, onboarding brings numerous advantages for the company:
- Good integration: The primary goal of onboarding is to train the employee as quickly as possible and to integrate them well into the organization at all levels. The new hire should feel like they are an important part of the company.
- Promote motivation, productivity and commitment: This impacts the new employee’s morale.
- Increase employee satisfaction: A well-functioning onboarding program increases employee satisfaction.
- Avoid terminations: It is also important to avoid terminations during the probationary period and afterward.
- Save costs: If the employer manages to train the employee well and keep him in the company, he is spared the high costs of a bad hire. This means that the recruiting costs and the effort during the training phase were worth it. In addition, the company is spared the need to recruit another employee again.
- Improve employer image: Well-functioning onboarding has a positive effect on the employer’s image and helps the company when it is looking for new employees.
