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Updated: 16 March 2022
What is onboarding? Preboarding? Why does it matter in a well-functioning organisation?
Online onboarding is a digitalised process in which all material is stored online, such as the introduction, meetings, company information, culture and policies, staff films and training. Everything a new employee might need to get to know the company and settle into the work more easily.
Do you remember the first day you were new at work and everything felt unfamiliar? Being new in a workplace is something everyone has been through, and it is always a little special. Most people usually arrive with a “GO”, wanting to perform and show what they can do. Getting the right tools that make you feel safe and secure in the workplace can therefore be crucial; it affects both your attitude to the work and to the workplace. Creating the right conditions from the outset and getting up to speed quickly therefore helps the employer make better use of that energy and create productive employees more quickly. It comprises a structured process with a clear focus, commitment and communication. #onboarding
Onboarding begins at the first interview and continues throughout the recruitment process – until the employment contract and introduction to the work begin. In this process the candidate gathers impressions that will affect how they perceive the workplace, the company itself and the employer. Onboarding is therefore a decisive process for creating a rich candidate experience. The goal of onboarding is to bring a new employee into the work while they receive a good reception and a strong sense of the company. Succeeding with onboarding encompasses a sound set of values and a culture that the company stands for and lives up to. That is what creates engagement, responsibility, wellbeing and productive employees.
A well-executed onboarding also reduces stress among new employees, as the first phase in a workplace is often very intense, with a surplus mountain of learning and impressions standing in front of you, which can easily create stress. This stress can both facilitate learning and lead to a lack of recovery and poorer learning. Many employers have also observed this phenomenon and therefore focus on different approaches so that the new employee can settle into their new work as easily as possible.
Preboarding is the period between the candidate signing the employment contract and being in place. This is an excellent opportunity to prepare the candidate for onboarding, which can for example be done by staying in touch with them, or why not invite the person to a company event, a lunch with the work group and a connection request on LinkedIn or similar platforms. Updating the person and showing a good reception and engagement is more often than not very valuable for the newcomer. It creates security, positivity in the new employee and good trust.
In preboarding, materials such as information sheets, employee films and staff handbooks are also appreciated, which the new employee can take part in before they start, to settle into the company more easily. Finally, it can be advantageous to send a welcome pack a few days before the person starts, or on the same day, to show appreciation and a welcome.
To welcome the new colleague in the best way, it is also essential that the staff at the company know about it, or at least the work group the employee will join – if it is a larger company. This is to prepare the staff and make a good impression on the new employee, and so that they look after the person so they settle into the work and the work culture.
Online onboarding is a digitalised process in which all material is stored online, such as the introduction, meetings, company information, culture and policies, staff films and training. Everything a new employee might need to get to know the company and settle into the work more easily. We believe a digital onboarding process is essential in an organisation that wants to save time and resources. In addition, it has been an important resource during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many workplaces were encouraged to work remotely and use alternative solutions, which can be precisely an online onboarding.
