Comprehensive guide to effective onboarding strategies

^{This guide provides HR onboarding best practices to ensure a smooth and engaging experience for new hires.}

Hello there! I'm Ola, and at Convista Poland I manage onboarding. Today, I'm here to guide you through the intricacies of quality onboarding. Get inspired!

Why effective onboarding matters for HR Professionals?

Recruitment is essential for obvious reasons: without it, we wouldn't have employees, which directly impacts the company's profitability. However, onboarding isn't as straightforward and is often neglected. What do we lose by not investing in an effective onboarding process and following HR onboarding best practices? Step by step: motivation, engagement, initiative, and – eventually – an employee.

The Convista Poland onboarding process: step by step

Good onboarding process requires careful consideration of its objectives. What are ours at Convista Poland? We aim to build engagement, inspire, provide knowledge for efficient task execution, and "infect" new hires with the company’s spirit.

The outcome of onboarding

The goal is an employee who consciously, effectively, and comprehensively performs their tasks. If they also want to do more or become our ambassador outside the company – we have achieved complete success!

^{Preboarding strategies: How to prepare employees before their first day}

Key steps before the first day

Think back to the evening before starting a new job. Remember those emotions? Did stress creep in? Most likely, your answer is “yes” because it's a natural response to something new and uncertain. At Convista Poland, we have a solution – a comprehensive preboarding process for new hires, covering everything that happens before they officially join the company, ensuring they feel welcomed and informed.

We maintain a consistent relationship with the new hire and even "enter" their home through the Welcome Pack box. Our pack includes a book chosen by their future supervisor to outline development areas, a plant (no plastic here!), a personalized letter, and a voucher. The new employee donates the voucher's funds to a selected charity – our way of showcasing the value of social responsibility.

"The welcome gift before even arriving in Wroclaw was a lovely surprise and showed a personalized approach."

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‍Creating a welcoming atmosphere

We can proudly say that at Convista Poland we love parties! We invite new hires to our team-bonding events even before their first day. This way, we've already met at the holiday table, on the dance floor, and even... took a trip to Vienna together.

Heard of FOMO? It's nothing unusual, rather a hallmark of our times. We try to address it by providing timely information. Every month, we send new employees a newsletter with company life titbits and updates on what happened in recent weeks.

It's crucial to know what to expect. To address any concerns, we provide timely information: about a week before their first day, we send the new hire a clear onboarding plan, visualized graphically and even as a video(click). It includes an agenda, a detailed meeting schedule, and information about the people they'll be in touch with. We also answer the most basic questions: How should I dress? Will there be something to eat? What equipment will I receive? Should I bring a laptop bag? These are crucial points that reduce tension and uncertainty.

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"I liked receiving all the detailed information - agenda, people, photos - it's super helpful before starting!"

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The role of leaders in preboarding

Good onboarding is planned onboarding 😉,but not just by HR – the Leader's role is equally crucial. At Convista Poland, we share preboarding tasks and monitor progress. My recommendation would be working with shared task lists. Remember to include even the simplest things in the onboarding plan, such as arranging a desk for the new hire; don't assume something is obvious.

^{What to expect on the first day: A guide for new hires}

Onboarding begins with a warm welcome

We start our collaboration typically – with a company presentation that introduces the organizational structure, key systems, and principles of how our Convista community operates. After all, every company is unique and has its own, sometimes unwritten, rules. My job is to ensure that all information is understood. I often repeat during the presentation: "Listen, I already know all of this! I'm here today for you – if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. I'm here to help you with anything!"

From the very beginning, we engage leaders and managers. On their first day, the new employee meets people from various levels – from specialists and managers to the CEO. Each finds 30-60 minutes to welcome the new hire, share their role, team, projects, technologies, and development opportunities.

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"I really liked that in the first week, everyone found time to tell me about the company. I think every employee appreciates that a lot and feels 'important/significant' in the company."

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‍Lunch with the Team

After a busy morning, it's time to relax – with team lunch. There's no better way to get to know each other than chatting over pizza. It's a perfect opportunity to gather thoughts and take a break.

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"I liked that on the first day, I didn't even have to worry about lunch. The first day is the worst for an employee, but here I was practically never alone and felt very well cared for. 😊"

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‍The importance of the handbook

Throughout the meetings, our Handbook is always on the table. It's a collection of information about the company: its history, teams, employees, culture, principles, and much more in a digestible form. During breaks, employees browse through it and remember that this resource is available to them. The handbook is an essential part of our HR onboarding checklist, providing key information that supports the onboarding process.

^{Ongoing support and development: Post-Onboarding strategies}

The first day is just the beginning

For a new hire, everything around is – unsurprisingly – new. The first day is a flood of information that's hard to remember. With this in mind, we created an intranet page summarizing the information shared, collecting all presentations, and providing a task list. It's a "knowledge pill," where the new employee will find everything they need to do –including expected deadlines and contact points.

The leader creates an individual onboarding plan tailored to the needs and expectations of the new team member. This plan, with a detailed list of goals, is regularly updated during 1:1 meetings. Monitoring progress is crucial – it ensures that both the new employee and their leader are "on the same page" regarding achieved results and can quickly eliminate surprises. Not only does this approach reinforce the sense of security among new hires, but it also ensures they understand what is expected of them and receive constructive feedback.

The Buddy system

A crucial role in onboarding is played by the buddy, a "companion" assigned to the new employee. Their task is to make their first steps in the organization easier: they’re a guide, a source of support and information. The buddy knows the new employee’s onboarding plan, not only responding to immediate needs but also helping them achieve goals.

Continuous HR support

Our onboarding and adaptation process is designed so that new employees feel supported – as HR, we don't limit contact to the first week or month; our involvement is long-term. Continuous HR support and monitoring ensure that our onboarding process aligns with best practices in employee engagement during onboarding. We organize regular meetings at strategic milestones in the onboarding process: after 2 weeks, 1.5 months, and 4 months. We discuss progress, challenges, and ways we can meet their needs. It's a fascinating opportunity to watch new team members adapt to our company culture.

During the six-month onboarding period, we offer employees a series of training sessions and workshops covering: communication principles and feedback techniques, information about our clients and projects, and details related to work accounting. We also emphasize cybersecurity – after all, we're in IT! 😊

The importance of feedback

Our preboarding and onboarding process is continually evolving and adapted to needs. Feedback from new hires is essential. It is a vital component in refining our effective onboarding strategies, ensuring that the onboarding process is continually improved. Every new team member can share their opinion in various ways: anonymous surveys, regular conversations with HR, direct contact with the leader. We constantly monitor responses and seek solutions – new employees have a real impact on shaping their work environment. An example? The intranet for new hires was created in response to feedback.

An example of success

By sharing knowledge about the onboarding and preboarding process at Convista, we're taking a step towards inclusive knowledge and hope to inspire you to reflect and seek solutions that raise onboarding and HR team standards. Good practices worth sharing not only increase team satisfaction and engagement but also benefit the entire organization – a well-onboarded employee who receives attention is a satisfied and engaged, and an engaged employee benefits the organization.

Lots of work? True, but the feedback below reassures us that it's WORTH it.

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"I liked the relaxed atmosphere, the eye-catching presentation, the previously sent onboarding plan, and the opportunity to meet managers from other departments."

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"What I liked the most was the personalized approach to the employee, visible at every step (presentation, book selection, personalized emails - not auto-generated), casual phone communication that makes it much easier to clarify certain issues and ask questions."

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"I really liked the gift (great book, lovely plant, and bag - a warm welcome), lots of useful information in the email, your attitude, and willingness to help."

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Ready to take your onboarding process to the next level? Consider incorporating these strategies to ensure a smoother transition for new hires!