Starting a new job can be pretty daunting. It takes time and patience before a new employee gets to grips with their new job and its responsibilities. They also need to get to know who their new co-workers are, what they do and how they do it. And on top of these, they need to understand the company’s values and culture. How well a new employee’s ‘onboarding’ process goes will largely determine how successful they’ll be in their new job.

What is onboarding?

Onboarding is the process of integrating a new employee into a business and its culture. The aim of it is to ensure that new employees can adjust to the cultural, social and professional aspects of their job in order to help them become productive while also feeling content within their new workplace. How a business owner handles the onboarding process is crucial in determining their workforce’s long-term productivity and morale.

Many business owners falsely assume that onboarding is just another word for orientation. It’s a lot more than just showing new employees where the coffee machine and fire escapes are. It’s a comprehensive process that involves management and other employees. Onboarding can take a while, especially if it’s for an executive and/or managerial role. With some businesses and with some roles, it can take up to 12 months.

The value of onboarding

Onboarding is not an easy process. How a business undertakes it depends on a variety of factors, including the size of the business, the industry it operates in and the nature of the workplace. Some businesses, particularly smaller, blue-collar businesses, take an informal approach to onboarding. New employees learn about their new job, the company and its culture without a defined organisational program, while larger, white-collar businesses tend to have defined programs with specific processes for every new employee, from entry-level right up to senior executive positions.

Businesses that take onboarding seriously, and have effective programs in place, tend to enjoy better employee retention, greater productivity and increased client/customer satisfaction. Businesses that don’t run the risk of lower productivity and poor workforce morale, as well as the prospect of losing potentially valuable employees who either feel confused, alienated and/or that they lack the confidence to do their job right.

Partnering with experts

It is essential that business owners appreciate the importance of onboarding and have an effective program in place. With this in mind, Bayside Group can work with your business to ensure that you have an onboarding program tailored to your workforce needs.

If you would like to know more about how we can deliver an end-to-end program to your business, get in touch with our expert team today.