• Onboarding periods are critical to employees’ success.
• Managers must understand their important role in the onboarding process.

This is the new person’s introduction to the company, the department, and the new job. The first impression should be favorable. While much of the general orientation is handled by Human Resources, managers and direct supervisors are largely in charge of orienting employees to their job.

Do managers realize the importance of onboarding?

How a new employee is treated sends a message to not only the new person, but to all employees about how much they are valued by the organization. If a new employee is treated as just another item in a manager’s day that they don’t have time for, that will be evident. But if the new arrival is truly welcomed and the manager makes time to orient the new employee to the job and the department, that will send the signal that the company recognizes and appreciates the value of its people.

The department where new employees will be working can make them feel welcome by:

• Having their workstations ready on day one, complete with supplies;
• Informing their coworkers of:
  • When they will start,
  • Something about their background, and
  • Which projects they will be working on.

The department manager should:

• Introduce the new person,
• Give a tour of the facility,
• Explain interdepartmental processes and relationships,
• Assign a mentor to answer questions, and
• Go over specific departmental procedures.

Additionally, it’s a good practice for the manager to arrange for the department to have lunch together on the first day so that new employees can get to know their coworkers.

Onboarding is a process of integrating new employees into the business environment and culture, and this takes time. Employers should be sure that department managers are handling the onboarding process well, because what happens after orientation ends and they actually start the job is critical to their success.

Before the employee arrives

While the true onboarding period doesn’t begin until new employees actually report for work, there is a lot of “leg work” that should be done before their first day. Planning ahead for them will make the orientation process go much more smoothly on their first day and prove beneficial in the long run as they adjust to the new position.

Before their first day, it’s a good idea to:

• Notify coworkers in new employees’ departments or areas that they will be starting. Ask the coworkers to welcome them and offer their support;
• Inform them about the types of identification they need to bring with them on the first day to complete required paperwork, such as Form I-9;
• Prepare interesting tasks for them to accomplish during the first couple of days that will help them learn something of value, such as work processes or networking;
• Schedule them in any training or classes that are needed;
• Ensure their work area is available, clean, and has the necessary tools, supplies, and equipment;
• Set up email accounts, computer logins, etc.;
• Obtain any door keys, passes, parking permits, etc. that they will need;
• Gather information that they will be given, such as handbooks, policies, and benefits;
• Assign them a mentor, if possible; and
• Arrange for them to meet key people in the organization.