Onboarding :
The Ultimate Guide (2022)

Onboarding comes from the English phrase "to get on board". It is often used by the aviation industry to define the act of getting passengers on board an aircraft, but it has another meaning in the corporate world. If we describe onboarding in a simple way, It is the process that a new employee undergoes from the time they are notified of their appointment (pre-boarding) to the time they assume their new position (integration). The aim is to set up actions that will facilitate the arrival of the new employee in the company.




For some, onboarding starts with the first email exchange. For others, it starts on the employee's first day in the company. This process is mostly carried out in a positive and lasting way and its duration is between three months and a year. The sooner the onboarding process is set up, the faster the productivity and effectiveness of the new employee.

This period determines the employee's first impression of the new company. Effective onboarding provides a seamless experience with clearly defined stages of the induction process: pre-boarding, orientation and induction.

• Pre-boarding : the period between documentation and the entry of the new employee. It is a crucial period to create a bond with the new employee, to encourage and introduce them to the team.
• Orientation : the first day in the company. This day is an important day to quickly create a sense of belonging and the reassurance of the new employee.
• Integration : the follow-up period of onboarding to retain and motivate the new hire.

This practice is becoming very important to HR professionals as the issue of wellness in the work force is a key challenge for companies. While some companies do not find it necessary to address the challenges of onboarding, it can however play a crucial role. The way employees are welcomed, have an impact on the companys  image. A successful onboarding must first of all be in accordance with the company's culture, its specifialties and its industry.
An employee who has been successfully integrated into the company will see the company as a desirable place to work. Moreso, an employee who is welcomed with care will quickly and easily adapt to the environment. They will be motivated, committed and involved. 

A committed employee is 43% more productive (1). Yet, many companies still do not extend the onboarding period beyond one month (37%). (6)

So how do you successfully onboard your employees?

The history of onboarding

The English phrase, onboarding is related to a service. the service of being well integrated. The phrase first appeared in the 1970s. It was really made formal a while ago in a book by Talya N.Bauer and Berrin Erdogan in 2011. According to Talya N.Bauer, a professor of management at the University of Portland, it is accepted wisdom that it takes about 90 days for an employee to prove themselves in a new job. In reality,It is the responsibility of every organization to decide the duration time needed to integrate the culture, habits, processe of the company and the details of the new position. A week is hardly enough time to become accustomed to the environment, the daily tasks and the colleagues. A minimum of 90 days is advisable, so the employee feels at ease and can work under the best conditions. The duration and especially the quality of the onboarding is related to the success of the employee

Welcoming new employees has always existed: presentation of the office environment, colleagues and how the company functions. Today, we pay more attention to it. While the first steps of an onboarding are often similar: a tour of the facilities in 69% of cases, a presentation of the company by a management staff(56% of cases), a presentation of the new position in 55% of cases, a welcome breakfast or lunch (52% of cases) (2). Onboarding does not stop here, It is a total integration into the company's culture and its brand image. There must be commitments on the part of the employer, managers and human resources professionals. Indeed, a bad onboarding can be economically costly. According to an article in L'Express, a breach of contract during the trial period would cost the company more than €50,000 (5). In addition to this, the time dedicated to recruitment, the administrative management and training must also be included to the cost.

Two important reasons for companies not to overlook onboarding:
Key figures

Onboarding is not a process to be taken for granted. Certain figures show that it is important to take the time to integrate new employees in order not to permanently loose them. It is a long-term investment.

According to Workelo (3) :

• 45% of resignations happen in the first year. 
• It is estimated that approximately 80% of new hires decide to stay in the company within the first 6 months. 
• A new hire that goes through a comprehensive onboarding process is 58% more likely to stay in the company. 

While most companies are willing to implement structured onboarding systems, the results are nowhere near the target. It's not surprising that 88% of employees are not satisfied with their onboarding process considering that over half of the companies (58%) are satisfied with orienting new employees to administrative tasks or process integration (6).

 According to Payjob (4) :

• 6 times out of 10, it is the employees that break the contract during the trial period.
  
  
• 40% of the time, the breakup is due to professional disappointments.

The image of the company is also at stake in an onboarding process. Recent figures show that 1 in 5 employees would not recommend their company after their hiring experience. Yet hiring from employee referrals has a cost and time advantage. 20% of employees who are unwilling to recommend their workplace miss out on potential talents (6). 

As earlier stated, 6 times out of 10 it is the employees who break the contract during the trial period. Onboarding plays a vital role in the employee's future with the company. Indeed, a new hire who goes through an onboarding process is 58% more likely to stay with the company (3). Since improving employee well-being at work has become paramount for many organizations, the integration of new employees has also become a key issue.

Examples of onboarding

Facebook

Multinational companies have embraced the challenges of onboarding. This is the case of the giant Facebook. For the Chief information officer (CIO), if the company does not stimulate interest within 45 minutes from the arrival of new employees, it is because their onboarding is not up to standard. All induction activities are planned in advance to introduce values, roles, practices and missions. The group organizes Boot Camps for its new engineers and this takes six months. The purpose is to give them real, practical experiences: overview of the company's culture, introduction to problem solving, discovery of the company's database, inspirations, motivation and rewards. At the end of the program, employees choose their teams and the project that has motivated them the most.

Orange

Orange has introduced a two-step application to make the arrival of new employees seamless: 

Welcom'App : The first stage (before D-day) facilitates a smooth integration process. The new employee receives personalized information to keep him/her in suspense, encourage them and prove to them that they are welcome into the company. This is the digitalization phase. 
The second step (D-Day and after) helps with the follow up on the new employee. Even if the connection is virtual, the software allows you to meet the new hire and understand their feelings. It gives the option to report challenges and most importantly improve employee engagement and satisfaction. Orange worked closely with the Furet Company team to create an integration process that reflects their image The application allows you to prepare for the arrival of the prospective employee by providing them with entertaining information. It includes a virtual tour of the premises, a virtual welcome of the President and the use of gamification. After its use, it has had very positive feedback from new users who were integrated with it.

Pinterest

For Pinterest, a full week is dedicated to the integration of new employees. They receive an email with the details of the schedule for their first day: the "Hire Class" with a collective breakfast. On the first day, the main value of the company is introduced, "knitting", which means " teamwork " in English. The organisers design the rooms so that they are diversified. They take the time to listen, discuss, and exchange with the new employees. The second day is reserved for the introduction to technical details. Engineers join the bootcamp, and the teams are formed. At the end of the week, the new employees meet to do some volunteering work and make a toast to their first integration week together.

Google 

Google has chosen to set up an onboarding "Ice breaker". The new employees are not unnoticed: they wear a cap with the words "Noogle" and carry a huge balloon that they have to hang on their desks. Google's onboarding is based on teamwork activities. The company focus on practical and knowledge-based learning to create a feeling of belonging between new employees. There is no time to be hidden, everything is done to break the ice. Managers welcome and coach new hires by listing the 5 tips proven to boost productivity:

• Discuss roles and responsibilities.
• Match the new employee with a "peer buddy" or a "référent" (subordinate).
• Establish the onboarding process once every month for the first 6 month.
• Start building a network within the company.
• Encourage open dialogue to avoid serious internal conflicts.

LinkedIn

Linkedin has designed an integration process where every new employee has a unique experience. This process starts as soon as they arrive in the mornings. From the tour of the office to lunch time with the teams, everything is well thought out. 
The afternoon includes various meetings. At the end of their first day, they receive a backpack containing a ready to use computer with an installed software and a "Roadmap". This "Roadmap" is called "90 days New Hire Onboarding Plan", it contains the details they need to know about LinkedIn and their future projects. This document allows them to monitor the progress of their integration.

Apple

When applying to Apple, candidates don't have any prior knowledge of their position. Apple depends on an onboarding program with packages distributed to new employees: stickers, forms from human resources, a company T-shirt and an iMac. The primary purpose of onboarding for Apple is to allow the employees to interact with one other, to create group bond from the start.

BlaBlaCar

BlaBlaCar's onboarding is known to be comprehensive. The company organizes a three-day Onboarding. The program includes a presentation of the company's history, its values and the discovery of potential colleagues. BlaBlacar also offers access to their "BlaBla Learn" platform. This internal company platform contains all the information a new employee needs. It allows the employees to be trained in order to increase their skills as they progress through the company.

What to remember 

Onboarding has become an important part of human resources management in companies. All the onboarding processes of these companies are similar in some areas: 

• The importance the pre-boarding phase is taken into consideration: the period between the recruitment and the first day in the company. This period defines the relationship between the company and the new employee. 
• Most companies appoint a subordinate to supervise and support the new employee. 
• An onboarding involves series of preparation, which requires time. 
• Some companies prefer to wrap up the reception with a "gift box". The employee just has to sit and start working, everything is in place to make the integration process easy.
• The use of user-friendly applications within the company: these applications allow the new employee to learn the skills required for the job. arrivant de façon ludique.

A successful onboarding process saves time, enhances productivity, increase engagement, and improve Return on investment ("ROI"). Keep in mind the following benefits:

• Reduce the stress of the new employee during on arrival: the trial period can be a stressful time for the new employee. It is a new experience for them: new workplace, new colleagues, new customs. An effective onboarding allows the new employee to become acquainted with the company's expectations and method of operation. The more informed they are about the company, the less questions they will have and they will be more relaxed when they arrive.
  
  
• Shorten the learning process: Onboarding saves time due to the monitoring and support of their peers. Using the company's workforce as trainers can also help to strengthen the teams. it is important to take into consideration and adapt to the needs of each individual.
  
  
• Encourage open communication and bonding with the new employee: Having a constant connection with the new employee encourages open communication. The employee will feel supported and appreciiated. Subsequently, it will be easier to talk about the challenges they face with their managers or human resources personnels.
  
  
• Promote commitment to organizational goals: According to a research from Gallup's State of the American Workplace Report, employee engagement is one of the significant outcomes of an onboarding process. Engagement is crucial to a company's success. In companies that have an onboarding strategy, there is a 33% increase in engagements between employees and their employer (7). Employees who feel valued are 4.6 times more likely to give their best (8). 

• A good relationship amongst employees: a good induction reduces disputes between employees. The new employee will not be seen as an outsider on arrival. The team should have a prior notice on the arrival of the new employee to avoid any awkwardness. this helps the employees to approach the new hires naturally and with ease.

• Improving job satisfaction and retention: Job retention is one of the challenges HR professionals faced in 2021. The larger the company, the higher the budget for recruitment. With proper induction of new recruits, work retention can be minimised. Good onboarding can potentially improve retention rates by 82% (9). These days, retaining the best employees is a key challenge because of the threat of competition and the scarcity of qualified candidates. Therefore, it is important to take onboarding seriously to ensure that the best talents are retained.
• Reducing turnover and retaining partner talent: Turnover is never beneficial for a company, financially, humanely and also for the company's image. Onboarding allows for a better relationship between partners and employees. It builds trust between the employer and the employee, making it easier to retain the employees. It is estimated that about 80% of new recruits decide to stay with a company within the first 6 months (3).

• Improved business results: Recruitment is capital intensive and time consuming. If onboarding is properly done, the company does not need to look for a new candidate.
  According to a Workelo study on the direct and indirect implication of unsuccessful onboarding, a failed onboarding process costs around €7,000 (3). An employee who is well informed and trained on his or her job is an employee who can immediately focus on the value-adding tasks that they were hired for.
  
  
• Improving your employer brand: onboarding is one of the most effective ways to attract candidates. It is common knowledge that a good image attracts more candidates than a bad one. Attention to onboarding also means attention to your brand image. A well receive employee can become an ambassador for the company, just like the existing employees, They can spread the word to their contacts, who can also become potential employees.

• Facilitates internal mobility: for the current employees who want to change jobs, onboarding can facilitate the change. Many companies do not include onboarding in their policy for internal mobility. Nonetheless, a change remains a change. Encouraging talents to move internally is also a way of retaining them.
  
  Successful and efficient onboarding is profitable to the company, the existing new employees. In order to retain talent and benefit from its advantages, it is important to follow the key steps of the onboarding process. 
  
  

COVID-19 a changed the way companies function. Some stages of recruitment process had no need to be modified because they were partly digitalized, for example the recruitment process. With the health crisis, the integration and onboarding processes of new employees had to change. The days of having breakfast with colleagues are over, and digital onboarding is now the new order. While digital onboarding may look impossible, many companies have succeeded in adopting it and some had digitized some of their onboarding processes before the outbreak of Covid 19. onboarding can be 100% digitalized, or it can be done at the start of the process (welcome email, sending of information regarding onboarding).

Digital onboarding has some advantages. For instance, the internal social networks builds a bond among the employees and is fully rooted in the culture of the company. 
Digitalization ensures that the new employee is tracked and supported through the creation of an online training program which saves time. Human resources professionals and managers are always busy, and onboarding can be a time-consuming process. According to Digiworks, 63% of HR professionals feel that digitizing the role will enable them to constantly improve the services they provide. (6).

Digital Integration

The problems of accessibility is the common challenge in the first few days and creates pressure on the side of the new hires. The first day is stressful. The new employee needs to feel a sense of belonging at the workplace, this is why it is important to ensure that all the systems are available remotely. The companys official email, its project management system, its intranet, corporate social network, etc.
Making sure that the employee has all the necessary tools prior to their entry is vital.

Furthermore, pre-boarding also includes the other employees or team members. The day of arrival, even if it is virtual, should be known to everyone. Also a group presentation should be planned. A warm welcome and a sense of belonging is important. Formal and informal moments of communication should be encouraged. The distance and body language of the employtees can create uncertainty. It is important to ensure that the new hires are well integrated and they understand all the information provided. team building and interactions are necessary either remotely or physically. With the confinement, many companies have set up a time for communications with the new arrivals. Virtual coffee breaks, "ice breakers", daily exchange with an assigned subordinate on the day of arrival. There are many ways to achieve this interaction from a distance. These moments should be given priority in order to build trust. the onboarding process listed above should be followed and not ignored.

The example of "intranet" tools in the onboarding process

Today, many companies use intranet tools. They facilitate the flow of information, centralizing it and making it available to all employees. These tools make employees independent. 
A new employee can easily and promptly contact other employees through the intranet. This tool saves time in  successfully onboarding employees, provided that they have been previously trained. If this is not the case, it can result in lack of productivity. It is pertinent that the platform has a  training plan for the employee on the companys activities and on the job role. In summary, the intranet facilitates the integration of a new employee:

• They can have full access to their personal administrative information.
  
  
• They can stay up to date on the company's news and upcoming events.
  
  
• They can access training courses.
  
  
• They can communicate and ask questions from the relevant contacts.

What if mobile learning is used to make onboarding appealing?

The goal of e-learning is twofold: to make training contents accessible on every platform and to regulate the users of the platform..from MOOCs (massive open online course) to interactive videos and serious games e-learning is constantly evolving to meet the needs of learners. E-learning courses allows step-by-step tracking of the various phases of the course. It also ensures that knowledge is tested and that students can assess themselves. Distance learning offers a fun and educational approach to training at your own pace, in accordance with your availability. Scratch cards, games with lives, swipe cards, mobile learning offers many features to make lessons diverse and exciting for learners. 

The limitations of digitalisation in the onboarding process

The health crisis and lockdowns affected the activities of human resource personnels.  Businesses have had to adapt to the situation by increasing their efforts to integrate new intakes as effective as possible. But how do companies integrate employees remotely?  Digital technology has its limitations in the onboarding process. In the age of digitalisation and teleworking, many actions are now digitalized: placing food orders, buying clothes or even shopping. 

But can people be integrated remotely?  Will they really understand the companys culture? will they feel rejected?

Digitalisation boostes creativity

Digital technology pushes the limits of possiblities and increases creativity, enabling the new employee to be properly integrated. In addition, it makes it possible for the new employees to easily access information on the company culture. The question is not if onboarding can be digitized, but rather how to achieve it. 

To make the process entertaining, some companies create welcome videos to describe the company and outlines the news of the company. some companies adopt story learning by creating comics that includes the name of the new recruit directly in the company’s history.  The employee participates in the integration and becomes the companys ambassador. Digital technology makes onboarding possible, but it depends on the recruitment budget. However the process must remain accessible. 

Placing the humans at the centre of the process

It is the companys responsibility to determine how to introduce a sense of humanity through a smile and a friendly attitude. the company has to maintain control over the process so that it does not end up being completely robotic. Loyalty and engagement are the most important challenges for HR professionals in 2021. Many onboarding HRIS solutions offer companies the ability to create social connections with learning and team building opportunities. These platforms are solely focused on building relationships. Even if the process is digitalized, humanity must remain at the core.