Historically, On-boarding has been an event that usually lasts a maximum of 2-3 days after a new employee joins the business. In a classic orientation programme the curriculum often centres on company HR policies and an understanding of the role, whilst there is usually much paperwork to be completed.
Broader scope
The first trend nowadays is for On-boarding to become more of a process, which starts during the recruitment phase and lasts at least 3 to 6 months post commencement of employment, with some processes even lasting up to 12 months. The scope is also broader. The key practices remain around the role, HR policies and procedures, and meetings with line manager to discuss job role, tasks and expectations. However, there is a growing focus on internal connections, helped by the assignment of a buddy to each new employee. Other increased activities we have seen focus on the use of internal and external social media, particularly a rise in the use of social networking events for new employees to help foster internal relationships from the outset.
Avoid information overload
The period of On-boarding can be viewed as a continuous learning and assimilation process, with progress tracked regularly through a series of check-in meetings to identify any early need for intervention. This helps to avoid an information overload in the first few days, lessening the risk of the new starter becoming overwhelmed and unable to internalise or retain much of the content. It also assists the new employee with becoming fully immersed in the company culture.
On-boarding is also integral to the overall talent strategy. This starts through integration with the recruitment process, as the new employee finds out more about the role and its deliverables and expectations, and also about the company values and purpose. The accelerated and enhanced learning, and regular progress check-ins during On-boarding, ensure a gradual transition with Performance Management processes that feature continuous dialogue. However, follow up sessions after one year of joining to monitor progress are not yet widely adopted.
We see these trends happening within the organisations in our research. While many have a clear 90-day programme, e.g. one global FMCG business has an On-boarding programme lasting over 12 months. A pharmaceutical business uses a different approach, which is dependent on job level, division and position, although the overall process and component parts remain similar.
Inspiration from the first morning
In one of our featured case studies (see the full interview on page 11 in the full report) we see how senior business leaders play a key role in inspiring new employees from the first morning, whilst helping them to understand from the outset the overall business purpose. A global pharmaceutical company participating in the Top Employers certification programme also involves leaders early in the process, ensuring that new starters understand the organisation’s history and are fully aligned with their mission, vision, values and strategic goals.
Five key trends
'From event to process' is one of the five key trends we have identified in the On-boarding report. These five key practices that should be included in today’s On-boarding processes.
Download the full On-boarding report to learn all about the current trends in On-boarding and how organisations deal with these trends in their business processes.
