New Employee Onboarding Checklist – How to Create it?
A good employee onboarding process entails far more than ensuring that the new hire has their IT set up and their paperwork filed with HR. If not done correctly, this can be an overwhelming experience for both the new hire and you. Fortunately, you can plan ahead of time and create the ultimate new employee checklist.
Are you wondering what an onboarding checklist is? Then have no fear, this blog is here at your service.
Here, we will help you understand what an onboarding checklist is, why you must create one, and the steps involved in creating one!
So buckle up for this blog and dive right in!
A thorough onboarding process assists new hires in adjusting to their role and team, better understanding job requirements, and preparing them for success. A new hire onboarding checklist is a guidance document that serves two functions. Primarily, it ensures that new employees understand what is expected of them.
Further, it also helps to ensure that employers don’t miss any critical steps during an employee’s initial days, weeks, or months on the job. There are so many phases in this process that it is fairly normal for someone to forget on the way.
Although it might not seem important enough to prioritize, you must remember that around 20% of employee turnover happens within the first six months or less. Consider this when an employee leaves a company, it takes a significant amount of time to deal with their departure. Replacing an entry-level employee often costs around $4,000, according to Glassdoor.
This is why an onboarding checklist is essential for preparing yourself to bring in new staff and groom them to be highly productive.
Why is a new hire checklist important?
Whether your business is small or large, you will have new employees coming on board. There’s no denying that. The main challenge is ensuring that new employees receive adequate orientation and training to contribute effectively to the company.
A new hire checklist consists of two checklists. One is for the hiring manager and the human resources team. The other is for the new hire to follow to ensure they are receiving and performing all necessary tasks.
These checklists are crucial since they aid in the integration of employees into an organization. However, remember that simply having a checklist does not guarantee a successful onboarding process. It is, instead, a tool that assists you in successfully integrating a new hire into your organization, its culture, and its specific role.
A new hire checklist template improves consistency and saves time, especially if you hire new employees frequently. Each recruit contributes to a smoother, more effective onboarding process.
On the other hand, a successful recruit onboarding process leads to greater job performance, increased efficiency, and higher employee satisfaction – all of which contribute to higher engagement and retention rates. In other words, a thorough onboarding process benefits everyone involved.
What an employee onboarding process should look like
Welcoming and Assign a Peer Mentor
A meet and greet and special information session are excellent methods to accomplish this. Also, during the first few weeks on the job, assign each new employee a mentor who will guide them through the onboarding process. This individual will be ready to answer questions, introduce the employee to others in the department, and even assist in training them on specific aspects of the role.
Simple and Informative
An employee should not leave an onboarding activity with a million unanswered questions. Concentrate on providing clear and simple information politely and straightforwardly. Instead of presenting the onboarding process in a pack-it-all-in type of approach, it’s best to keep things simple.
Well Structured
To ensure a smooth running, the onboarding program should be well-structured and well-prepared in advance. To ensure consistency, all new hires should go through the same onboarding procedure, as indicated above. Changing the onboarding process regularly may cause misunderstanding.
Outspread Overtime
It is important to allow sufficient time for learning, contemplation, and conversation. This will prevent employees from being overwhelmed throughout the onboarding process. Instead of attempting to cram everything into one day, divide everything into different segments and stretch them out across a few days, if not weeks.
Download your new hiring onboarding checklist template
Consider including the following points on your onboarding checklist:
✅ Confirm the new employee’s arrival with HR.
✅ Send and complete new hire paperwork
✅ Send an instructive welcome email
✅ Give a copy of the employee handbook
✅ Inform them of company policies
✅ Have their work area set up
✅ Set up accounts and create logins
✅ Organize an office tour
✅ Assign a mentor
✅ Set job expectations
✅ Introduce company culture
✅ Schedule time for onboarding feedback
Depending on your objectives, you may want to add more items to your new hiring checklist. Based on changing needs or employee feedback
It will not only ensure that you and your new team members have a smooth and seamless experience in greeting the new employee, but it will also ensure that the employee gets the most out of the onboarding session.