Before your new team members can become experts, they’re new hires. It’s your job to show them the ropes, but how do you make sure it’s done right every time?

Having a standardized onboarding process can set your new hires up for success, no matter which role they’re training for. The Daxko team sat down to share how they structure their onboarding process to turn new hires into expert team members. Read on for the highlights.  

What is Onboarding?

The goal of onboarding is to make sure new hires know what’s expected of them and which steps they need to take to become an expert team member. That’s a tall order, and it’s hard to accomplish in just their first week on the job.  

A comprehensive onboarding process has four phases, and it can often take weeks to finish them all. Going through the full process takes more time, but by the end your new team member will be fully prepared to fly solo. The four phases are:

Phase 1: Pre-Onboarding

This phase happens before your new team member’s first day. Once you decide to hire them, they’ll need your support as everything goes into flux. They may have tasks they need to wrap up from their previous employer, they may be relocating, and they’ll be planning their first week on the job.  

The most impactful thing you can do is prepare them for what they’re about to walk into. Sharing information about how your organization works, what to expect when they start, and who they’ll be working with can help them feel more confident on their first day.

Phase 2: Welcoming New Hires

The welcoming phase can be the funnest part of the process. Starting on their first day, you’ll need to welcome your new team member and help them get acclimated. Share information about your mission and how you interact with your members to give them a clear idea of how your team impacts your community.  

New team members may not know anyone at your organization or understand how your different departments cooperate. Take some time to introduce them to the team and get everyone excited. Surprising them with a t-shirt or other swag can go a long way towards making them feel welcomed.

Phase 3: Role-Specific Training

The quality of your training directly correlates with how successful new hires will be in their role, so this phase is the most important in the onboarding process. Set them up for success by preparing a formal training program ahead of time.  

You can create a training plan to outline their goals and responsibilities. Being clear and upfront about what’s expected of them will prevent misunderstandings down the road.  

Phase 4: Easing the Transition  

Once they’ve been trained in their role, you need to help your new hire transition into a full-fledged team member. Encourage your directors to set SMART goals and clear milestones at the end of the onboarding process. With a defined path forward, your new team member will be ready to tackle work on their own.  

This is also a great opportunity to share constructive feedback. Highlight what your team member is doing well, and work with them on any needed improvements. Ask them for feedback as well – how can you improve your onboarding process?  

How Do You Standardize Onboarding?

The best place to start is with your new hire’s first day. Their first day on the job sets the tone for the rest of their experience. Give them a solid foundation on day one by teaching them about your mission, vision, values, and organizational culture. This information will be the same, regardless of their role.

You can standardize your role-specific training by creating a training plan that documents their entire onboarding process.  

A good training plan should:

  1. Have the team member’s name on it.
  1. Define important training milestones.
  1. Clearly state when the training plan starts.
  1. Include a checklist of tasks to complete each week.
  1. Give the team member a chance to provide feedback on the process.  

Tools like SurveyMonkey and TalentLMS can help you standardize your training videos and quizzes. If you don’t have the resources to create your own training tools, there are a host of free resources online. Take advantage of help centers and free training sessions to teach new team members how to use your tech.  

A good onboarding process helps new hires understand their roles and feel welcomed. By standardizing your process, you can make sure every new team member has what they need to succeed.

To learn more about onboarding and the training tools Daxko has available, be sure to catch the full Project Thrive: Ask the Expert session below.  Register for future sessions here: daxko.com/project-thrive

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