When does your New Hire Onboarding process End?

In any industry, onboarding has two basic components. There is the transactional aspect which I’ve talked about in detail in the past. At its most basic level, this involves:

• Gathering relevant new hire information and managing the flow of this data
• Ensuring all documents are completed fully and correctly in compliance with law
• Providing the employee with electronic access and any other items required for work

It’s pretty clear when HR has finished this step; the 3 requirements above have been fulfilled. Technically, this process could be completed within the first few hours of employment - especially if you are using employee onboarding software that streamlines each task.

Acculturation: The Softer Side of Onboarding
Acculturation involves orientating and aligning a new hire with your company’s vision and objectives. Because this process is unique for each company, it can be difficult to define. This also makes it hard to tell when this “warm and fuzzy” aspect of onboarding is complete. In that case, is it OK to just skip this step? Not if you care about retention, morale, and productivity. Integrating each employee into your team is vital.

Like the transactional side of onboarding, acculturation works best when it begins during the recruitment phase. If you have successfully branded your company, potential candidates already view you as an employer of choice. For example you might be known as a business that treats employees fairly, places a priority on environmentally conscious practices, and offers a superior product/service to its client base.

The first day of work offers an opportunity to reinforce this feeling of connection. You can intersperse acculturation modules with transactional onboarding tasks in the same software interface. For example, don’t miss an opportunity to include positive messaging in your welcome letter and policy agreements.

Add an invitation to join the company’s LinkedIn group and connect with other employees. Offer a tips section that highlights some of the “quirky” ways things work at your company. That way, new hires can prepare to adapt to your workplace culture. Point employees to your internal HR blog or a helpdesk where they can ask questions and give feedback. Keep touching base over the next few weeks (or months) as acculturation progresses.

Measuring Success
How do you know you’ve successfully brought employees onboard as a part of your team? Here’s a good sign that the acculturation process is complete: Your recently hired employees reach out to welcome the next wave of new hires and make them feel like part of the family!