If you feel like your onboarding process needs a bit of a makeover, you’re not alone. Employers and employees are seeking more comprehensive ways to build teams and welcome new hires. 

In fact, a Gallup poll found that only 12% of employees feel like their organization did a good job onboarding them. 

And to be sure, onboarding is an important part of keeping operations smooth. But the transitional period can be hard for employers to navigate, especially when it comes to determining how long the process should take. You don’t want to hold your new hire’s hand too long, but you also don’t want to throw them to the wolves.

The time onboarding takes can vary, but it’s important to build a timeline that’s best for your goals.

In this article, we’ll talk about what makes onboarding effective and how long it may take. We’ll also offer a few hacks for making the process simple and effective.

The art of making onboarding efficient and effective

Onboarding is the process of integrating a new hire into your business. You’re turning an outsider into an insider. New hires use this time to understand their roles and responsibilities, but they also become acquainted with the company’s culture and values.

Why is onboarding important? 

An efficient business starts with an efficient onboarding process.

This is your new hire’s first impression of how things run in your business. 

Onboarding is your opportunity to set expectations and thoroughly address potential problems. All roles have a learning curve, of course,  but onboarding is meant to help you soften it.

Research by Brandon Hall Group shows that a strong onboarding process improves employee retention by 82%. Turnover rates and talent scarcity are serious concerns across industries — this poses a challenge for businesses looking to retain and attract new talent. 

Onboarding is your first line of defense, as efficient onboarding makes employees feel supported and engaged from the get-go.

Plus, good onboarding is a competitive edge. Most organizations reserve onboarding to a week of paperwork and manuals. 

New hires have an average productivity rate of 25% in their first month, a trend that suggests it may be time for business leaders to reconsider existing approaches. Investing in a robust onboarding process can lead to a higher return from talent down the line. 

What are the phases of onboarding? 

The onboarding process starts with initial sign-on and ends when employees can perform independently. But there’s a lot in the middle that can quickly become overwhelming. 

Breaking down the process into phases makes it a lot easier.

Accepting your offer.

First, your new hire accepts your offer. This will likely involve signing paperwork, which can be sent as an initial email or given to them as a hard copy on their first day. With the latter, you should send a next-steps email, including information about documents that need to be signed and where to submit paperwork. 

This process can be elevated and made a lot simpler for everyone involved by including new hire paperwork in an encrypted knowledge base. It makes it easy to keep track of what has been signed, what needs to be completed, and keeps all documents easily accessible. 

Orientation.

Next up: Orientation. This is when you welcome new employees to your company and give them a glimpse of what working there is like. Schedule a tour of the office, introduce them to their teammates, and get to know them as people. Remember, you can’t make a first impression twice, so make sure they feel comfortable and welcome.

Onboarding training.

Onboarding training is when employees start getting their toes in the water. This is when you run through your how-tos and need-to-knows. 

Make sure to accommodate your training for different learning styles and levels of expertise. This process can take as long as needed to get them ready to go.

Transitioning into your role. 

Last up: The transition phase. If your onboarding has gone well so far, your new hire is already acclimated and able to contribute. Tie up any loose ends, clarify any uncertainties, and let them fly solo!

How long should all of this last? 

It all depends! 

First of all, don’t make the mistake of limiting your onboarding to a single week. 

Onboarding isn’t just employee training, it’s a learning process that should be robust and padded with enough time and space to make (and learn) from mistakes.

The process can take up the first three months, but experts say extending the process can improve retention. In most cases, successful onboarding will take anywhere from six months to a year. Throughout that time, the new hire should receive frequent feedback. 

No two employees are alike, and different factors — including their role — will impact how long and involved onboarding is. Complex roles with layered responsibilities may take more time. Be sure to consider things like available resources and time as you build your onboarding process. 

How can I keep things efficient?

There are a few tips and tricks you can use to make your onboarding process more efficient.

First, it’s important to remember that learning should be an ongoing process that is based on application. You should give your new hires opportunities to learn as they go. 

Applying their skills in real-time makes them more independent, which should be your end goal. 

The buddy system works well here, too. Mentorship is not only important for knowledge sharing, but it’s an excellent way to socialize new hires within your company. 

Figure out what skills they can learn on their own and what skills they should learn alongside someone else. Have them shadow your best and brightest so they can perform at the same level.

Keep learning material and information accessible. Having a company wiki handy makes it easy for employees to reference SOPs if they forget anything. Systemize your learning so you can give them the resources they need and track their progress. 

Also, remember to chunk skills and tasks based on how relevant they are to the role and how they play in with one another. This helps you meet KPIs that are time sensitive, but it also makes learning easier!

Tips for keeping onboarding efficient and effective

Creating a thorough onboarding process is the best way to ensure a return on your training efforts. Plus, getting things right the first time around can save time when you revisit training later down the line. 

Keep these tips in mind as you develop your onboarding process: 

• Use KPIs to measure success.
• Make efforts to create engaging onboarding content by using videos, images, and gamified learning content. 
• Use real scenarios or case studies to show policy in action. 
• Make use of mentorship whenever you can.  

You can elevate your onboarding process by upgrading the quality of your knowledge management processes, too. This will also help you cut back on putting together new content for every new hire you onboard.!