When you hire a new employee, there is much more that needs to be done beyond just the offer letter. Completing the onboarding process comprehensively and with intention can lead to improvements in retention, satisfaction and consistency among the staff.  To ensure that you create a robust and comprehensive process, make sure that you don’t forget these key areas.

Logistics

There are plenty of logistical pieces of the hiring puzzle that need to get sorted out upon arrival. Everything from the signing of the paperwork to identity proofing to visiting Human Resources may need to be on your list. To ensure that this process functions more smoothly, consider creating a checklist and utilizing third-party services that can help simplify this process.

Aspects of Onboarding

Many view the onboarding process as the process of processing the paperwork and figuring out the logistics, but it is much more complex than this. You should be covering the three key aspects of onboarding, the technical, organization and social components that all play a key role in employee success and satisfaction. While these may not be required, these will allow them to ease the transition and feel welcomed.

Plan for Onboarding

While many people feel they can stop planning after solidifying the offer, don’t wait until the last minute to create your onboarding plan. You should begin to design this process well before your employee arrives on-site. This plan should encompass all three key aspects of onboarding and provide well-rounded and well-planned courses of action. It should include what the employee needs to understand, achieve and participate in, outlining the parameters for what success in the introductory period.

Goals and Feedback

Being a new employee provides many hurdles for the new staff member, and it takes time to understand process, culture and expectations. To help alleviate some of that unknown tension, provide your staff member with clear goals for at least the first three months. You can help create a more collaborative experience by discussing the goals with them. Through these goals and consistent feedback, you can provide clear boundaries, expectations and an outline for a successful future.

Introductions

As the manager or person who manages the onboarding process, you also need to help this staff member get acclimated. This means that you also need to facilitate their introductions to team members. As a new staff member, they will likely be unaware who will play a key role in their new position or who they can reach out to for what, and it is your job to help illuminate those connections. While social introductions may not feel like a part of the process, you can help reduce the barriers that can arise when someone feels disconnected at work or is unaware of who they should be working with.

Locations, Supplies and Everything Else

Another important piece of onboarding a new employee is ensuring that they know where to go and how to find what they need. Taking your newest team member on a tour of the office to show the bathrooms are, define key locations and locate supplies is essential. Not only does it reduce the amount of time someone may spend lost, but it gives them a chance to feel less intimidated by the space and instead offer a sense of comfort and familiarity. By taking them on a short tour, where you can illuminate key spaces, you can help them feel less like the new staff member and more like one of the team.

Leaving new employees with paperwork and nothing else is a sure-fire way to make them feel unappreciated and unwelcomed. Onboarding employees is a task that many of us allot too little time.  Despite how busy our lives are at work, we need to take the time to create an intentional and well-rounded plan to ensure that our newest staff member is introduced in a way that is efficient, comprehensive and starts off positively.

Lindsey Patterson is a freelance writer and entrepreneur based in the US who specialises in business technology, customer relationship management and lead management. She also writes about the latest social trends, specifically involving social media.