Employee Onboarding & Training
Common Gaps in the Employee Onboarding Process and How to Avoid Them
In this article
Welcoming new hires into the company is a big deal!
Great employee onboarding programs will not only make new employees feel welcomed and determine how long they stay but it will also impact the company’s growth.
Employee onboarding directly affects employees’ performance, retention, and relationship-building. For instance, an effective onboarding that leaves them feeling prepared can increase their productivity by up to 34% (eLearning).
As such, curating a great onboarding program is crucial.
4 Common gaps in the onboarding process for employees
1. Complex onboarding programs 😒
Excessive paperwork, information overload, and too many manual processes make onboarding complicated and it can overwhelm new employees. Thus, complex onboarding programs are one of the major risks that HR professionals must watch out for, seeing as a bad onboarding experience can influence the duration and tenure of a new team member.
This is why one key risk management technique that most competent HR departments commonly implement is to simplify the onboarding process.
Achieve this is by
- Sending new hires any necessary forms prior to the onboarding day. So paperwork won’t take up too much time and they can do it online, it should be sent virtually.
- Automating the onboarding process through technology like Whale.
- Creating an employee handbook that contains the company procedures and benefits but also inspires new team members to live the mission. This will serve as their reference as they navigate their first day, saving time in the process.
- Immediately register new hires with an automated payroll service to streamline the process and ensure a smooth initial payday.
Even though onboarding is an important process, it doesn’t have to be too complex. It’s important not to overwhelm new hires who may already be feeling nervous.
2. Technology knowledge gaps 🖥️
Every company uses employee onboarding software and programs in its own way. Even if it’s a well-known program like Google Sheets, the company may have its own unique way of using the program. Additionally, the company may have its own internal company software. Therefore, technology training must not be overlooked during onboarding and creating SOPs will optimize working efficiency.
One strategy to help a new employee adapt to new technology is through
- Guided learning on Whale.
- You can also conduct a side-by-side and step-by-step process of using programs so they can get a feel of it (or you could simply create a video in Whale with step-by-step instructions).
Giving team members access to software ahead of time will create familiarity with the company’s technology stack and save time, getting them ready to start work.
3. No company culture introduction 💔
Company culture refers to how a company and its employees work and behave together. It’s something that’s already established, so new employees will need to be incorporated into this culture. This is crucial because employees are 50% less likely to quit when they feel a strong sense of belonging within the company.
During onboarding,
- Introduce new team members to regular and unique practices in the company, such as L10 meetings and choose-a-song Friday (check out our Whale playlist for Fridays on Spotify).
- Invite team members to informally meet other team members (even those they won’t directly work with) to get a sense of what the culture is like. It gives them a chance to know everyone else’s roles and who they can approach in times of need.
This will go a long way to making them feel part of the team already.
4. Lack of continuous communication 🤐
The onboarding process shouldn’t end after their first day or week.
Checking in with new hires and their progress is a must, so any issues or difficulties are resolved immediately.
- Check new team members’ learning progress in Whale and
- Set up one-on-one’s to get a feel for how they’re experiencing the environment and if there are questions.
Let them know that they can always reach out for help from colleagues and the team.
Continuous communication not only provides new employees with a smoother onboarding experience but also prevents any problems from progressing into worse situations as they begin their roles.
Other common mistakes in employee onboarding
In our time working with companies, we’ve seen a few examples of bad employee onboarding. If it’s not through mal intention but rather through lack of time.
Common onboarding mistakes in onboarding include;
- Waiting until the first day to start onboarding (Hint – this is too late!)
- Giving a half-hearted or lack luster welcome
- Not setting expectations and not fulfilling promises made to new employees
- Over-managing the onboarding process, hindering learning
- Giving negative feedback from the get-go or assuming one direction feedback without asking the new hire for their opinion
- Offering inconsistent and unhelpful information
- Assuming rather than understanding new hire needs
- Ignoring generational differences in onboarding
- Initiating onboarding without support for the new hire
- Overwhelming new hires without adequate support
A scaling tech business cannot afford to hire every few weeks, which is why the onboarding experience is crucial. If you’re going to abandon employees as soon as they sit down at the desk, it’s a poor reflection on your employer brand and undoes the hard work you’ve put into perfecting the hiring process. In addition, poor onboarding will lead to high turnover rates and further recruiting down the line.
Amy Brown Onboarding and Compliance Team Leader Key Terms & Further Reading on onboarding processes
Key Definitions
Knowledge Management Process definition
Additional resources
Sales process document template
Related blog posts
Employee Training Management Software
What is not a type of ongoing training?
Bottom line?
Onboarding matters and poor impressions last!
Onboarding is the first thing a new team member will experience upon joining the company. Make their transition an effective process by avoiding these common gaps in employee onboarding programs and welcoming them with a great experience.
Want to give new hires everything they need to succeed and perform?
Check out;
- Everything you need to know about employee onboarding and training.
- Our employee onboarding checklist
_____________________
Exclusively written for Whale by JBeckinsale
Lisa Steingold is the Content Marketing Manager for Whale. She's authored 4 books and is obsessed with helping teams unlock the next level of growth. (And riding her bicycle)
