Introduction

Why Onboarding and Orientation Are Important

Onboarding and orientation are critical for HVAC/plumbing companies, and the following statistics and facts highlight their importance

• Retention: Effective employee onboarding is an essential piece of the best retention strategy. It can help new employees feel more comfortable in their new work environment and increase their engagement with the company. In fact, companies with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%.
• Cost Savings: The cost of replacing an employee can be significant, especially when it comes to skilled labor like HVAC and plumbing. The cost of replacing an employee can range from 50% to 200% of their annual salary. Effective onboarding can help reduce turnover and save companies money in the long run.
• Standardization: Onboarding and orientation can help ensure that new employees are trained to a set standard. This can help ensure consistency in the quality of work performed by employees. In fact, companies with a standardized onboarding process experience 50% greater new hire productivity.
• First Impressions: First impressions are key when onboarding an HVAC employee. Being clear about company expectations for the first couple of months that a new employee spends on the job is essential. Transparency can help new employees feel more comfortable and confident in their new role.
• Job-Specific Training: Employee onboarding is a series of events and trainings that helps new hires progress into successful employees. It’s more job- and department-specific than orientation. Onboarding can help new employees learn the specific skills they need to be successful in their role

Citations

1. https://www.hvaccoachingcorner.com/check-list/
2. https://fieldedge.com/blog/onboard-retain-plumbing-technicians/
3. https://sellingrevolution.com/blog/proper-employee-onboarding-the-best-retention-strategy/
4. https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/510603/Employee%20Orientation%20%26%20Onboarding%20Process%20Plan%20for%20Company%20X_Mikaela_Kokko.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=2
5. https://www.achrnews.com/blogs/18-business-management-blog/post/140575-all-aboard-the-importance-of-your-employee-onboarding-process
6. https://hvacexec.com/why-first-impressions-are-so-important-when-onboarding-an-hvac-employee/

Onboarding vs. Orientation

Onboarding and orientation are two processes that our HR department undertakes after hiring an employee. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. Here are the differences between onboarding and orientation:

Orientation:

• Orientation is a one-time event welcoming new hires to the company, usually on their first day.
• The purpose of orientation is to generally familiarize the new employee with the company's vision and values.
• Orientation provides a broad overview of expectations at work, including the company's mission, vision, and values, policies such as dress code or vacation time, and where to find resources, including HR or IT support.
  

Onboarding:

• Onboarding is the entire process of fully integrating new employees into the company.
• The purpose of onboarding is to provide new employees with resources and familiarize them with the organization.
• Onboarding has a series of events that provide more detail into things like job training, best practices, and company policies.
• Onboarding primarily focuses on improving employee engagement, while orientation helps new employees familiarize themselves with their colleagues, understand organizational policies, and navigate the office space.
  

While orientation and onboarding may have similar purposes at first glance, the main difference between them is that orientation is a shorter part of the overall onboarding process, which can take months to a year to complete. Orientation is a time to generally familiarize the new employee with the company's vision and values, while onboarding has a series of events that provide more detail into things like job training, best practices, and company policies.

Next we'll go over what orientation will look like here at our HVAC & plumbing practice!

Preparation

Before The First Day

Onboarding is not just about training for the job, but also about integrating a new hire into the company culture. Using a tool like Trainual can streamline the process, but remember that personal interaction and support are equally important.

Preparing for the arrival of a new team member is absolutely vital. It makes the person feel welcome and sets the right tone from day one. So make sure you set up and schedule the following:

• Workspace and equipment: Ensure their workspace is organized and inviting. For marketing roles like graphic designers or digital strategists, specific equipment such as high-performance computers, graphic tablets, or specialized software might be needed. Make sure all of these are installed and working properly.
• Systems access: Set up their email accounts, provide access to project management tools, customer relationship management (CRM) software, and other tools we use, such as Electronic health records (EHR) software, online patient portals, online booking systems, and dental practice management software.
• Introductory email: Send out an introductory email to the team, introducing the new member, their role, and a little bit about them personally. This helps to create a sense of anticipation and excitement about the new addition to our practice.
• Uniforms and IDs: Ensure they have their uniforms, badges, or any other identification they'll need.
  

Introductory email example

Subject: Welcome our New Team Member!

Dear Team,

I hope this email finds you well. I am excited to announce that we have a new addition to our vibrant team at Smiles Ahead Dental CAre. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to [New Employee's Name], who will be joining us as [New Employee's Position].

[New Employee's Name] brings a wealth of experience and expertise in [mention key skills or areas of expertise]. With their strong background in [mention relevant industry experience], we are confident that they will make valuable contributions to our team and help drive our practice's success.

Throughout their career, [New Employee's Name] has demonstrated a passion for [mention specific interests or areas of focus]. Their creative mindset, attention to detail, and dedication to delivering exceptional work align perfectly with our practice's values and culture.

As [New Employee's Position], [New Employee's Name] will be responsible for [briefly mention key responsibilities or projects they will be working on]. Their unique perspective and skill set will undoubtedly contribute to our collaborative and innovative approach.

To help [New Employee's Name] settle in smoothly, I encourage each of you to reach out and introduce yourselves. Let's extend our support, share our knowledge, and make them feel welcome as they embark on their journey with us. We believe their fresh insights and expertise will enrich our team dynamic and lead us to even greater achievements.

Please join me in welcoming [New Employee's Name] to the team. We are thrilled to have them on board and look forward to the positive impact they will make on our projects and client relationships.

If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to reach out to me or the HR team. Let's work together to ensure a seamless transition for [New Employee's Name].

Thank you for your continued dedication and commitment to our practice's success.

Warm regards,

[Your Name]

HR Manager

Welcome and Introduction

The First Day

A warm welcome can set a positive tone for the employee's journey with us.

First day to-dos

• Personal Welcome: Start the day with a warm, personal welcome from the department manager or supervisor. A friendly start can set a positive tone for the entire experience.
• Orientation Session: Begin with a quick orientation that covers essential company policies, safety measures, and organizational structure.
• Tour of Central Hub/Office: Show them around the office space, pointing out essential areas like restrooms, breakrooms, and supply areas.
• Warehouse and Inventory Tour: Walk them through the inventory and warehouse, explaining how to check for parts availability and how tools and supplies are organized.
• Vehicle Introduction: Go over the service vehicles they'll be using, including a checklist for daily inspections.
• Team Introductions: Schedule a team meeting, possibly around a welcome lunch, for introductions and some team-building activities.
• Field Guide and Route Planning: Review the field guide and discuss the typical service areas they'll cover. Share any route-planning apps or software the company uses.
• First Tasks: Allow them to dive into their first set of tasks under the supervision of a mentor or colleague. This gives them a sense of purpose right from day one.
• Debrief and Next Steps: End the day with a brief meeting to discuss how the day went, answer any questions, and outline the schedule for the rest of the week.
• Feedback Loop: Encourage new hires to share their thoughts and impressions of the first day, offering a channel for them to provide feedback.

Resource:

📚 Blog: Help New Hires Feel Included – Here's How

Role Overview and Expectations

It's important for new hires to understand their role, responsibilities, and what is expected of them.

• Job description review: Go over their job description and key responsibilities. Explain the metrics or KPIs that will be used to measure their performance. For an HVAC technician, an example KPI would be their "First-Time Fix Rate," which measures the percentage of service calls that are resolved on the first visit without the need for a follow-up. 🔥 Tip: Remember to show them where their responsibilities are documented in Trainual! They can head to their Trainual profile to check them out at any time.‍
• Team dynamics and workflow: Discuss how their role aligns with the rest of the team, how work typically flows within the company, and whom they'll be working with directly. 🔥 Tip: Remember to show them where the role chart is in Trainual — which shows who works with who directly.‍
• Performance goals: Set clear performance goals for the first 30, 60, and 90 days.

👉 Snag job scorecard and 30-60-90 templates.

The First Week

Training

Providing the right training from the start is vital for setting up the new hire for success. Your team will use Trainual for this (more on this later!). But remember that each new hire will need training specific to their role, including:

Technicians

• Company Orientation: Overview of the company's history, mission, culture, and organizational structure.
• Safety Training: Comprehensive training on workplace safety, equipment handling, and emergency procedures.
• Technical Training: Depending on their experience level, new hires may need training on specific technical tasks like HVAC installation, repair procedures, diagnostics, or plumbing solutions.
• Equipment and Tool Use: Introduction and training on all the tools and equipment they will be using, including any company-specific devices.
• Customer Service: A session on customer interaction, problem-solving, and how to represent the company in the field.
• Software and Technology: Training on any specific software used for job tracking, reporting, or customer management (e.g., ServiceTitan).
• Vehicle Operations: If they will be driving a company vehicle, a session on vehicle safety, maintenance, and logging is essential.
  

Office Staff

• Company Orientation: Similar to the technicians, office staff will need an overview of the company.
• Office Policies and Procedures: Training on office decorum, attendance, dress code, and other general workplace policies.
• Software Training: Comprehensive training on software used for job scheduling, customer management, billing, etc. This could be a deep dive into software platforms like ServiceTitan, including creating invoices, managing customer records, and dispatching.
• Communication: Guidelines on internal and external communication, including emails, phone calls, and inter-departmental correspondence.
• Customer Service: Training on handling customer inquiries, complaints, and providing phone support, especially critical for those in a customer-facing role.
• Compliance and Legal: Information on the company's adherence to industry laws, regulations, and ethical guidelines, including how to handle contracts and sensitive information.
• Product and Service Knowledge: Understanding the services provided by the company, including some technical basics, can improve service quality and customer communication.
  

So, make sure the important stuff is documented in Trainual for their first week!

Assign a Mentor

Having a mentor or buddy can significantly ease the onboarding process.

• Choose the right mentor: Pair the new hire with an experienced colleague who can guide them during their initial weeks. This person should be someone patient, approachable, and knowledgeable about our company's culture and work processes.
• Mentor's role: The mentor will offer insights into the agency's culture, be available to answer any queries, and provide assistance when needed.

Check-in Meetings

Frequent communication during the initial phase helps to quickly identify and resolve any issues.

• Regular meetings: Arrange regular one-on-one meetings during the first few months. Use these meetings to address any issues, clarify doubts, provide constructive feedback, and track progress on their performance goals.
• Open communication: Encourage the new hire to share their experiences, ideas, and any challenges they might be facing.

Using Trainual For Onboarding

About Trainual

Trainual is a platform we use for efficient onboarding and ongoing training. It centralizes our processes, policies, and SOPs into a searchable, trackable system.

Why Trainual

Trainual allows us to streamline our onboarding process, ensure consistent training, and keep everything updated in one place. It's a great tool for new hires to get up to speed quickly and understand their role and responsibilities better.

Keeping Trainual Up to Date

Keeping our small business Trainual account up-to-date is important for a number of reasons:

• Accuracy: Processes, protocols, and procedures can change over time, and having the most recent information is essential to ensuring employees are operating accurately and effectively.
• Efficiency: With up-to-date information, new hires or existing team members can quickly find the information they need without wasting time searching for it or asking others.
• Consistency: Keeping all training materials, policies, and procedures in one place ensures that everyone is on the same page and there's consistency in how tasks are executed.
• Compliance: If there are changes in regulations that affect our business, it's crucial to update this information in Trainual. This helps maintain compliance and mitigates risks associated with non-compliance.
• Training: When information is updated, you can track who has seen and understood the new material. This helps to ensure all team members are trained on the latest procedures.
• Empowerment: An up-to-date Trainual account allows team members to self-serve information when they need it, which empowers them to work more autonomously and confidently. And you can say goodbye to those pesky new hire questions that you've gotten over and over (and over) again.
• Business growth: As our business grows, roles may evolve, new positions may be created, and strategies may change. Keeping Trainual updated reflects these changes and supports your business growth.

Remember, the usefulness of Trainual as a tool is only as good as the information it houses. It's therefore critical to ensure that your Trainual account is regularly updated and maintained for the benefit of your team and the success of your business.

Always update Trainual when there are changes in processes, tools, or responsibilities. Involve the team in keeping Trainual updated and encourage them to suggest any improvements.

Adding New Hires to Trainual

As soon as the new hire is set up with their official email, invite them to Trainual. When inviting them, be sure to head to the "Advanced settings" dropdown and:

• Add them to roles. That way, their teammates can see their position, manager, and responsibilities — on the employee directory, org chart, and role chart. Plus, this allows them to access role-specific processes and policies.
• Give them a permission level based on their knowledge, level of leadership, and how they can help you document business processes.
• Make sure to check the option "Show profile in the directory."
• Add their manager in the "Reports to" section. This automatically adds them to the org chart.
  

Your to-dos

After you invite your new hire:

• Ensure the role's responsibilities are up to date.
• Add individual responsibilities for the new hire, as needed.
• Assign them individual subjects as needed (that aren't role-based and automatically assigned to them with the role(s) you added them to).
  

New hire to-dos

Next, ask your new hire to:

• Add a bio. Be sure to tell them anything specific you'd like them to include in their bio (like past work experience — in addition to the fun stuff like where they're from, their favorite TV show, and hobbies!).
• Add pronouns. This is done in My settings.
• Add a phone number. This is done on their profile!

Post-orientation

Full Integration

It'll likely take your new hire several weeks to complete all their assignments in Trainual and get into the swing of things in their new role.

To make sure they reach 100% productivity ASAP, you'll want to gradually integrate them into the team after their orientation period:

• Gradual responsibility increase: As the new hire gains confidence and understands their role better, start to assign them more responsibilities.
• Team collaboration: Encourage the new hire to actively engage in team discussions, contribute ideas, and fully participate in company activities.