Background

There was no official process for the onboarding of new employees. Therefore every new employee had a different Knowledge level and understanding of the company as well as a different ways of working (related to quality delivery). Sometimes they struggled even months after they joined to understand what the company was doing, who was responsible for what and trying to search for information. 

Recommendation

• Introducing a multi-step onboarding program with different knowledge gates. It existed out of a mixture of reading (knowledge books created in Confluence), short videos as well as personal onboarding meetings with key persons. 
• Every new joiner passing probation period received an onboarding card with a personal note. 
• Congratulating every new joiner on the intranet after passing the probation period. 

Results

• New joiners were onboarded within four weeks time. 
• The knowledge books enabled the new joiners to have around 60% understanding of company within a very short amount of time.
• The time key persons spend with onboarding new people was reduced by up to 50%.
• All new joiners had the same level of understanding and knowledge about the company, it's products and processes. 
• New joiners felt a more "belonging" to the company.
• New joiners felt more appreciated after they passed the probation period. 

Example Multi-Step Onboarding Program Checklist

• Welcome email
• Strengtsfinder test (or similar) 
• Gate A01 - knowledge handbook team A
• Gate A02 - knowledge handbook team B
• Gate A03 - knowledge handbook team C
• Gate B01 - Knowledge transfer (short meetings with key people to add flavour to the theory)
• Gate C01 - Gate X01 - onboarding other departments/teams (can be built up the same like gate A and B)
• Boarding pass (when passed all gates as well as probation period)
• 360° Feedback with manager

 Each training session is rated which help to continuous improve the process. 

:-)  great session, very informative, I felt energized

:-| good session, informative, I am a little bit overwhelmed

:-(  Not a good session, I am totally tired and the information load was too much

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash