Staffing 101: What to do before hiring anyone new

Think back to your very first day at your current company. Were you provided with a thoughtful and intentional employee onboarding process? Or were you expected just to hit the ground running? 

I’ve personally been in both situations, experiencing the latter way more often than the former. And, honestly, that’s not surprising. In a recent Gallup report on onboarding, only 12% of employees think their company does a great job of onboarding new hires. And according to Zippia, 17% of employees leave between the first week and the third month of a new job. 

I don’t know about you, but to me that reeks of a bad onboarding experience. 

If you’re experiencing high turnover rates in your business, it could be attributed to your new hire onboarding process. And while it may not be the only reason you’re losing staff more quickly than you’d like, your onboarding process may be the first straw on that camel’s back. 

But don’t lose hope; we’re here to help. So, find an open desk (or chair or table), settle in, sharpen your No. 2 pencils (or open your favorite note-taking app), and get ready to learn. 

Welcome to Staffing 101: What to do before hiring anyone new. Class is now in session. 

Employee onboarding process: What it is and why it’s important 

First things first. Let’s talk about what onboarding is and why it’s important for your business. 

An employee onboarding process is the structured process of welcoming new employees to your business, introducing them to your company’s mission, vision and values, and helping them understand their roles and duties.  

Why is it important? 

Not only does it help set the foundation for your new staff member to be successful, but your onboarding process also helps promote long-term retention. A lackluster onboarding process (or the lack of one altogether) reduces productivity and leads to high turnover. But businesses with a strong onboarding process will: 

• Increase new hire retention by 82%. This is especially important for accounting firms and small businesses with limited resources. 
• Enhance company culture. Onboarding helps new hires understand your company’s values and work environment. And it helps integrate them into your culture. 
• Improve productivity by 70%. New hires who are properly educated about company culture, their roles and the technology they need to use become more productive team members more quickly. 
• Reduce turnover and training costs. While onboarding can seem too time-consuming, investing in an intentional and thorough process can save costs in the long run. 

If you want your employees to be successful and improve the retention of high performers, an employee onboarding process can be instrumental. 

Before you create your onboarding plan… 

Now that you understand why an employee onboarding process is important, let’s discuss what you should do before creating your own. 

Create an employee onboarding team 

Prior to creating your onboarding process, you’ll want to assemble an employee onboarding team. This team is responsible for ensuring your new hires have the best experience possible, even before their first day on the job. 

Why do you need an onboarding team? 

We’ll tell you! Creating a dedicated onboarding team is essential for several reasons, which we’ve listed here. 

1. It allows for diverse perspectives. Not every role in your company is performed or managed in the same way. Forming a team from different departments and roles helps ensure a comprehensive onboarding approach that touches on various aspects of your business. 
2. It creates shared responsibility. Let’s face it. Not every member of your team is someone you’d want to onboard a new hire. But with a team in place, you’re distributing the onboarding workload and making sure onboarding doesn’t fall on one person’s shoulders. 
3. It maintains consistency and standardization. A dedicated team helps establish and maintain a consistent onboarding experience for every new employee, regardless of which team member manages the onboarding. 

What traits should your onboarding team have? 

Before you add anyone to your onboarding team, think long and hard about what individuals share the traits below. Use these as a guideline for forming your team. 

• Organizational skills. Team members should have a strong attention to detail and be capable of efficiently managing multiple tasks and timelines. 
• Communication skills. Look for employees who can communicate clearly and in a timely manner. They should also be open to candid feedback. 
• Patience and empathy. Onboarding team members should be able to understand and relate to the experiences of the new hires. This helps create a supportive onboarding environment. 
• Demonstrative knowledge of company culture. Whoever you add to this team should fully embody your business’s values and culture. And they should also be able to communicate these effectively to your new employees. 
• Enthusiasm and positivity. Select team members who are passionate about their work and who will help create a welcoming atmosphere. 
• Capacity and time. Ensure anyone you choose for the onboarding team can spend intentional time (during working hours) developing, communicating and executing the onboarding plan. 

Consider your work environment 

Once you’ve created your employee onboarding team, consider your work environment. Are you completely in-office? Do you have a hybrid workforce? Or is everyone in your company remote? Your work environment plays a big part in a successful onboarding process. Consider the factors below: 

If your business is entirely in-office… 

An in-office environment is run differently than a completely remote environment, but one is not necessarily better than the other. However, there are some things to consider when running an entirely in-office environment. 

1. Physical space. It’s no fun being lost on the first day. Make sure you provide a tour of the office or building, including common areas, meeting rooms and offices/cubicles. 
2. In-person intros. It can be hard to be the new kid on campus. Schedule introductory face-to-face meetings with team members and key personnel to help ease the transition. 
3. Tech support. There’s nothing worse than getting to work on your first day…and being unable to work. Make sure your new hire’s workstation is set up and ready to go. 

If you’re running in a hybrid environment… 

A hybrid environment can be the best of both worlds for those who enjoy a mix of remote and in-office work. Consider the following for your employee onboarding process in a hybrid environment: 

1. Flexible scheduling. Confusion can abound surrounding in-office vs. remote workdays. Designate when employees are expected to work in the office and when they can work remotely. 
2. Physical and digital resources. Employees with a hybrid schedule should be set up for success. Ensure they have access to a cloud-based environment so they have the tools and resources they need in and out of the office.  
3. Communication. Clear communication is key in all work environments. To accommodate everyone, conduct a mix of in-person and virtual meetings. 

If your business is fully remote… 

Working in a completely remote environment can feel isolating for some, especially when measures aren’t taken for clear and open communication. But, if done well, remote environments can thrive. (Ask me how I know. 😉) Here are a few things to keep in mind for your employee onboarding process in a remote environment: 

1. Virtual orientation. Getting started in a remote environment can be a little tricky. Give new hires a “lay of the virtual land” and have one-on-one meetings scheduled for their first few days to get them acquainted with their fellow staff. 
2. Cloud-based environment. Working remotely can be difficult when you’re not running your business in the cloud. Take advantage of a secure cloud environment (like Rightworks OneSpace), so your team can collaborate, communicate and share documents securely. 
3. Regular check-ins. While checking in with staff regularly is important in every working environment, it’s absolutely essential with a remote team. Schedule consistent meetings to maintain engagement and address any issues as they arise. 

Your homework: Think about your employee onboarding plan 

That’s it for today, class. You didn’t think we’d jump right into what you should have in your onboarding plan, did you? Worry not—that class is coming soon. 

Your homework for when we meet again:  

1. Select members for your onboarding team. 
2. Meet with your new onboarding team to discuss what they think should be included in your employee onboarding process. 

Be on the lookout for the next class in this series: Staffing 102, where we’ll cover strategies for attracting top talent. (Attendance isn’t mandatory, but it’s strongly encouraged.)

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Class dismissed.