Employee Onboarding Trends: 7 New Ways to Handle New Hires

Do you remember the last time you reviewed your onboarding process for new employees? The last 3 to 4 years have seen a dramatic shift in how employees are vetted, processed for interviews, and ultimately hired and onboarded. New onboarding trends could point your business in a new, better direction.

The success or failure of your employee onboarding process can mean the difference between high employee satisfaction and new workers who quit after just a few months. Plenty of onboarding statistics back up the importance of a company’s onboarding process. According to Gallup, only 12% of employees state that their company did a good job onboarding them.

In this article, we’ll take a look at 7 employee onboarding trends companies are driving as they try to make new hires feel welcomed and give them the best chance for long-term success.

1. Pre-onboarding

Pre-onboarding refers to the tasks that must be done before the employee’s first day. At its most basic, this part of the onboarding program simply means doing all the pre-hire paperwork. However, most companies are taking this to the next level. They send out equipment and welcome bags with company merchandise about a week before the employee’s start date. Some companies schedule virtual meet and greets so that the employee can meet their coworkers before beginning their training.

2. Using onboarding software

To simplify in-person and remote onboarding, companies are using dedicated onboarding software, sometimes referred to as welcome portals. These onboarding programs introduce employees to the company and let them view, sign, and upload documents before their first day. The portal can also contain welcome videos and short messages from their coworkers that welcome them to the team. If the employee will work at a physical location, the portal can show pictures of the workspace and its room number or location.

3. Social and emotional connection

The process of onboarding employees should include helping the new hires develop social and emotional connections with coworkers. Employees tend to feel more connected to their work when they feel connected to their coworkers. For remote and hybrid employees, you can schedule virtual lunches and create a chat room where employees can talk to each other and ask questions freely without fear of being judged by managers.

4. Customization and personalization

More companies are using machine learning and AI to personalize employee onboarding. Future employees can complete their administrative tasks faster and smoothly transition into specific training modules. They also can view custom videos about their departments and teams, with details about their next steps.

AI allows employees to ask the software what they need to do next or interact with training modules.

Customization and personalization also allows you to break down administrative tasks and training into manageable steps. New hires can work through videos and tutorials on their position, job duties, and expectations. This also provides an easy way to convey mandatory information on company policies and important information about the company’s values.

5. Hybrid onboarding

If your company has an office but most of the employees are remote, consider a hybrid onboarding process. A hybrid process allows new employees to start onboarding at home while accommodating visits to the office for additional training and to meet managers and other employees. This process can help them feel more connected to their coworkers and the company, which can help promote job satisfaction. And if the employee eventually becomes an in-office employee, a hybrid onboarding process can help them make the switch.

6. Extended onboarding

Onboarding new employees doesn’t have to be a quick, one-and-done matter. A great onboarding process can last throughout a 90-day probationary phase or for the entire first year of employment. An extended onboarding process can be used to make sure employees complete all their new hire training. It can be used with buddy programs so mentors have time to work with employees at regular intervals. It also allows intermediate and advanced training to be done in a timely, but not overwhelming, manner.

7. Reboarding

When employees change the way they work or are promoted to a new job, it’s important to reboard them. For example, if an employee is switching from in-person to remote work or vice-versa, an onboarding process to acclimate or reacclimate them to the company and its culture should be used to help them feel welcome and appreciated while explaining the pertinent details of their new work environment. If an employee is being promoted, a dedicated onboarding program for their new position can help them acclimate and feel useful faster. Plus, it’ll shorten the time to productivity.

Onboarding trends worth following

Helping a new employee acclimate to your company and their new job doesn’t have to be complicated or confusing. Implementing employee onboarding programs means setting up individual tasks, monitoring metrics, and helping your new hire through onboarding and employee training. It’s a lot, but these new developments and some tried-and-true services, like Zenefits, can help. In turn, providing a good onboarding experience will help your employees achieve success.

You can learn more about the latest trends and industry insights from the articles, guides, and reports at Workest.