Employee Onboarding - What to include and When
Let’s face it - if your new hire is going to become a valuable member of your startup team, their onboarding will have a major impact. It’s not enough to simply assume that they turn up, you give them a quick rundown of their role and they’ll just get on with it. If you don’t put the effort in and create an effective onboarding plan and a positive experience for your new employee, you could end up recruiting for their replacement a lot sooner than you expect.
Onboarding a new hire is a strategic process and how you handle those early days, weeks and months is key. We've put together an overview of what elements an effective onboarding plan should include and when you should consider doing each.
Pre-onboarding
The advance prep
You want your new hire to feel instinctively that they’ve made the right decision in joining your team. It's therefore important that you help them do that from the moment they sign the offer letter and accept the job. Send them a personalised welcome email and keep them enthused about what lies ahead. Got any company events or socials in the pipeline before their official start date? Invite them along too. As well as being a great way to meet the rest of the team, it will also help them to feel a little less of a newbie on their first day.
Use this time too to refine their onboarding plan. Take feedback from your existing team. What would they have liked when they started in their roles? Decide who among the team will be the best buddy for your new recruit, making sure to select someone who has the knowledge about the role and the business and who can devote the time to provide support and help them settle in.
And whilst assigning a buddy is important, don’t exclude everyone else! Factor in plenty of opportunities for your new hire to connect and build relationships with other members of the team during the onboarding process.
If possible, try to get some of that all-essential new starter paperwork completed in advance so that your new recruit isn't overwhelmed by admin on day one. Also, if you can share the agenda for their first day or first week, it will help to put them at ease as they’ll know what to expect.
The Day Before
The gentle reminders
Even if you’ve kept in pretty regular contact with your new hire since they accepted the role, you should still do so the day before they officially start. A quick call or message to reiterate how much you’re looking forward to them joining the team can make all the difference.
Remind your team that their new colleague will be starting too, so there are no blank faces greeting them when they appear! Perhaps take another run through the onboarding plan with their buddy to make sure they’re up to speed with what’s expected.
The resources
This is the time to make sure you've got all the practical stuff in place for your new team member - their laptop, phone, workspace and access to any systems or online training.
Got any marketing swag? Whether it's a mug or notebook and pen, having a little welcome pack of goodies always goes down well. If you've got an employee handbook, have a copy waiting for them too.
The First Day
The Welcome
This is the day when you can make a real impact. First impressions count so don’t waste the opportunity! Your new hire will hopefully be excited at what lies ahead so make sure that you create a first day experience that’s a positive one.
Make sure the rest of the team knows to expect them, are welcoming and do what they can to allay any first day nerves. Perhaps have them start a little later so you have all those morning checks and emails out of the way and you can give them your full attention.
The workplace orientation
Firstly, don’t palm them off to whoever happens to be free. Their new line manager or buddy should ideally be the one giving them the guided tour and making the intros. If they’re the curious sort, they’ll probably have lots of questions so make sure whoever is showing them around can answer them!
As well as giving them an overview of the office layout, breakout areas, bathrooms etc, they could perhaps share some tips on the best nearby spots to grab coffee or lunch. It's all about helping your new employee to settle in and familiarise themselves with their new environment.
Assigning a buddy
Assigning your new hire with their buddy on the first day will provide them with an extra bit of support, help them learn and also help them get settled. It’s a must to pair them with an experienced member of the team who can properly show them the ropes, answer their questions and act as a mentor and guide. They'll also be able to highlight all that's great about the startup and the culture from an employee's perspective.
The First Week
Intro to the company culture and values
During the first week of onboarding, make sure that your new hire gets a good overview of the company's mission, values and future plans. Help them to not only understand the ins and outs of their role but also how they'll be playing an important part in achieving that mission.
Use this week to showcase all that's good about the startup culture too - the fun stuff and what sets your startup apart.
Intro to the team
Your onboarding plan should include plenty of opportunities for your new employee to start building connections with their colleagues. And don’t only include those members of the team who are in the office!
Perhaps set aside some dedicated time for them to spend in certain areas of the business or with particular coworkers as part of their weekly schedule. Or why not plan a social event or a team lunch for their first week? The more you can do to help them build relationships and a sense of camaraderie with the rest of the team, the better.
The First Three Months
Training and development
You should structure your new hire’s onboarding plan so that it’s clear to both them and you what their first 3 months should look like. Break their training and development down into a 30, 60, and 90-day plan so they can clearly see what needs to be achieved and by when. Their training plan should be customised and relate to their role specifically.
Forget the generic induction. Cover everything that they’ll need to learn in order to do their job effectively, from training sessions and courses to e-learning and work shadowing.
Reaching and passing the probation
Make sure that the onboarding plan enables your new employee to know exactly what is expected of them and what it will take if they are to get through and pass their probation. Don’t simply assume that they ought to know!
However, it’s not simply a matter of highlighting what their goals and objectives will be - make sure that you set the date of their probation review right from the start too. That way, your new employee will clearly know what they are working towards.
And as they work towards those goals, factor in regular reviews and assessments so that you both can keep track of their progress, identify any areas where improvement may be needed or celebrate any successes. Whilst it’s key to set realistic targets and milestones for your new hire, it’s important to be patient too. After all, even the most experienced employees need time to adjust to a new role.
The Probation period
Check Ins
One of the best ways to assess how your new hire’s onboarding is going is to ask them. Throughout their probation, schedule in regular check-ins, perhaps via a regular morning catch-up or an end-of-day review. As well as using these check-ins as an opportunity to see how their work and training is going, you should also use them to address any issues or concerns your new employee may have.
By identifying these as they arise, you’ll hopefully be able to take action, before they become major issues. Don’t make the mistake of letting bad habits develop or waiting until their probation period is up before highlighting any shortcomings or concerns you may have with their work. Give them the opportunity to make things right!
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Offering personalised, consultative service, at TableCrowd Talent we’re a specialist recruitment agency with our finger on the pulse of the startup and scaleup scene. We are committed to matching graduates, professionals and C-level executives to exciting startup and scaleup jobs across London, the UK and Europe.
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