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Prakash joined a private bank as an investment banker a year ago. Despite the bank’s global reputation, he didn’t have a good experience as a new recruit. There was nobody to guide him on his first day, no schedule for him to follow and no welcome kit to make him feel at ease. His supervisor only got in touch after Prakash had spent 10 days on the new job. There was no feedback or communication channel for Prakash to raise his concerns to the management.
What could the organization have done to ensure a smooth onboarding process for Prakash?
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What Is An Onboarding Checklist?
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What Does An Onboarding Checklist Include?
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Incorporate An Error-Free Onboarding Experience
What Is An Onboarding Checklist?
An onboarding checklist includes a series of steps an organization should take to ensure a comfortable entry for new recruits. This employee onboarding checklist is usually a written document maintained and/or modified by the senior management to make a new recruit feel welcome and well-equipped to deal with their new surroundings.
Successful organizations understand the value of fresh hires settling in early. This is where an onboarding checklist comes into play. Without it, there’s no systematic process to guide employees through their initial days in office.
What Does An Onboarding Checklist Include?
An onboarding checklist is like a roadmap for any new employee. Here’s what to include in a checklist to make sure your employees have a smooth onboarding experience:
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Pre-Recruitment Information
Technically, onboarding begins once a person is hired, but in essence, onboarding begins even before recruitment. This is because prospective employees need comprehensive information about an organization. This information is generally provided on the organization’s website or through physical and/or digital pamphlets. It need not be overly detailed; but it should provide an outline of what the organization does, what it stands for and what’s broadly expected of the role for which recruitment is taking place.
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Welcome Kit
One of the most important items on an onboarding process checklist is the welcome kit, which aims to familiarize the new employee with their new environment. It includes a welcome email sent to the employee before their day of joining that explains their role, where to find support and advice, who are their supervisors as well as other necessary information. Some organizations also include a welcome meal and an office tour as part of their welcome kit.
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Workstation
The new hire checklist also includes a proper workstation for the new employee, equipped with all the tools and devices they need to perform their tasks.
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The First Week In Office
A new employee onboarding checklist tries to ensure that a new recruit’s first few days or first week in office proceeds smoothly. This period is crucial as it often sets the tone for their engagement with the organization going forward. Supervisors should guide their employees and explain the workflow and vision of the organization. They should also regularly check in on how the employee is adapting. Experienced employees should be encouraged to interact with the new ones and be accessible for answering questions and providing assistance.
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The Feedback Loop
Perhaps the most vital component of the onboarding checklist is the provision for feedback for new recruits. Ideally, feedback surveys should be carried out after the first, third and sixth-month of an employee’s tenure, with a longer survey after the employee has completed a year of service.
Even though an employee onboarding checklist may have room for several surveys, organizations may not often understand how to best design the surveys or customize them for specific departments and employees. This is where the organization must invest in experts to figure out what survey questions are most likely to obtain accurate and valuable data from employees, both with respect to their past performance as well as their future potential.
A comprehensive employee onboarding checklist helps organizations incorporate new recruits into the workforce in a systematic manner, thus setting a good example of the standards they will be expected to follow. It also creates a worker-friendly culture within the organization.
Incorporate An Error-Free Onboarding Experience
In order to streamline the onboarding checklist for organizations and give them a thorough understanding of the best practices, Harappa’s Placement Success Program gives organizations a chance to:
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Understand the different elements that affect an employee’s initial period of service
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Provide solutions for common employee complaints and grievances
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Develop a document that explains how to integrate the numerous items on the employee onboarding checklist
Through the Placement Success Program, you can create an excellent work culture with a seamless onboarding experience for new employees. Build a strong workforce with high employee retention with our program.
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