What is Employee Onboarding

Employee onboarding introduces new hires to the company's culture, values, policies, and procedures. It is designed to help new employees feel comfortable, confident, and valued in their new roles.

I think in a perfect world, the onboarding process is smooth, employees and managers love the process, and we get all the information we need seamlessly. Unfortunately, most of the time and especially in the current climate, where we have limited time and must be wearing multiple hats, things may slip through the cracks. This just highlights how important automation is. Learn how to get your onboarding done right, and find a checklist for your onboarding process at the end of this article!



Why is Employee Onboarding Important

Studies have shown that a well-designed onboarding process can increase employee satisfaction and engagement, reduce turnover, and improve productivity. Companies with strong onboarding programs are 58% more likely to retain new hires in the first year.

So again, in this current climate where we are all struggling to find staff, retention should be front of mind. Never mind this. Ensuring your club stays compliant and passes on important information to your new starters is imperative.

Best Practices for Effective Onboarding

Here are some best practices that you can follow to make your onboarding process as effective as possible:

  • Capture crucial information: So take a moment to think about how you are doing this currently. Is it a seamless workflow? Are you getting hard copies or soft copies? Where is this information being stored, and how confident are you? You have all the crucial information on file for when it is needed.

  • Provide clear communication: Do you have an employee handbook that covers all your policies and expectations of your employees? Have you clearly communicated their role so on and so forth?

  • Personalise the experience: Have you discussed where they see themselves in 2 years? Do they plan on growing within the business? Can you discuss a path they can follow to get there? All this will help with retention.

  • Make it collaborative: In the same meeting above, give them opportunities to ask questions, include them in upcoming events for your team and give them a personalised tour of your club.

  • Provide ongoing support: Regular catch-ups are important for several reasons, but especially to display empathy, show you care about them and their progression in your club, and allow them to ask questions. Pro-tip, schedule some time in your calendar for 3, 6 and 12-month catch-ups so you don't forget.

    In conclusion, effective employee onboarding is essential for building a strong and engaged workforce. By following best practices and making the process personalised and collaborative, you can create a welcoming and supportive environment that helps new hires feel confident and productive in their new role.

    We have created a checklist for your onboarding process: ClubsHR blog.