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Designing digital onboarding
Whether online or offline – the onboarding process serves to integrate new employees into the company as quickly and efficiently as possible and to introduce them to their new area of work. The overarching goal is to be able to benefit from the employee’s full potential as quickly as possible. Successful onboarding also makes a decisive contribution to reducing the costly fluctuation of new employees. The following article explains the differences between traditional and digital onboarding and what needs to be considered when implementing the digital version.
What is digital onboarding?
As with traditional onboarding, digital onboarding aims to introduce new employees to the team socially and to their new job professionally. Many HR managers are still unaware that this process begins before the first day of work and ends at the end of the probationary period at the earliest. Digital onboarding is also about ensuring the digital integration of new employees. The primary goal is always to maintain the daily work routine and ensure that the new employees can start their new job without any friction.
What is the difference to traditional onboarding?
But how do digital onboarding processes differ from offline onboarding of new employees? Traditional onboarding processes are divided into three phases:
- Preboarding,
- Orientation and
- Integration
Preboarding takes place between the signing of the employment contract and the first day of work and serves as general preparation. The employee has the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the company and its structures. To this end, they should be provided with the requirements of the position, the induction plan and information about the corporate culture in good time.
The orientation phase begins on the first day of work and lasts until around the third month of employment. In the first few days and weeks at the company, the employee is introduced to their tasks and roles and gets to know their colleagues and processes. They also get to know the workplace on site and are equipped with the necessary hardware, software and other work materials.
Once the employee is familiar with the company structures and their tasks, onboarding integration, i.e. social integration into the company, begins. This phase can take up to six months or even a year – so it varies greatly depending on the employee and the company.
Preboarding, orientation and integration are also part of digital onboarding. The difference to the traditional on-site process, however, is that digital onboarding processes are implemented with the help of software and tools. Such a system enables new employees to familiarize themselves and integrate without any offline elements – such as traditional printed onboarding folders. The additional personnel required for the process is also minimal, as good digital onboarding is as automated as possible.
Good onboarding is important
A well-established process for onboarding employees increases the likelihood that new employees will still be with the company after a year by more than 90 percent. This is shown by a study on strategic onboarding of new employees by the marketing intelligence company Aberdeen. A study by the media and software agency Haufe in 2020 also shows how important it is to have a structured onboarding process. Most companies surveyed said that good onboarding means new employees will integrate faster and more cost-effectively. Over 60% of them are sure that having a step-by-step onboarding process prevents the common employee turnover that often happens at the start of a job.
Good onboarding of new employees is therefore important, as it lays the foundation for successful, long-term collaboration. After all, frequent staff changes not only take up a lot of time, but also cause high costs. Both small and large companies can save a lot of resources with a well-thought-out onboarding process.
Digital onboarding is now a top priority.
Especially for companies that are struggling with the implementation of digital onboarding measures, the question of whether digital onboarding of new employees will remain or on-site onboarding will return is crucial.
However, there is currently every indication that the digitalization of HR processes will be the norm in the future.
During the coronavirus crisis, digital onboarding was the only way to maintain everyday working life. Thanks to this form of induction, hiring freezes were avoided and new employees were able to start their work at the planned time despite the circumstances.
The general trend towards digitalization also suggests that digital induction will continue to spread and be adopted in normal company processes. After all, working from home, video telephony and other digital measures have long been part of everyday life for many German employees. It therefore makes sense for large companies in particular to digitize the induction process.
Why Digital Onboarding Matters
The advantages of digital onboarding are listed below:
- Efficiency and cost-effectiveness: digital processes make it possible to start the induction process for new employees before their first day in the office. In addition, digital processes are generally less time-consuming, as all relevant information is available in just a few clicks, paper is saved, etc. This saves time and money. This saves time and money.
- Overview: Digital onboarding tools often have integrated checklists that the new employee can work through step by step.
- Accuracy: The ability to document and present all information digitally increases accuracy. Materials are managed centrally and can be updated at any time without much effort. Whether in small or large teams, all information is up-to-date and consistent for everyone.
- Accessibility: As the onboarding software can be accessed at any time and from anywhere, information cannot be lost or forgotten.
- Employee retention: Employees who have been involved in the team and company from the start are more likely to be loyal and stay with the company long-term than others.
- Employer branding: Word of good onboarding gets around and has a positive effect on the employer brand and attractiveness for young talent.
Step by step: Digital onboarding checklist
What steps and measures are necessary for digital onboarding to be successful?
1. Preboarding
Digital onboarding begins with the signing of the employment contract. The first contact, the welcome and corporate culture as well as a smooth administrative process are crucial here. The employee’s future motivation often depends on these factors.
A good start is, for example, a welcome email including a digital welcome folder with all relevant information about the job and the company. Introductory videos or presentations can also be helpful.
As part of good succession planning, it is also conceivable to involve the direct predecessor, who can explain all tasks and processes to the new employee in detail.
Pre-boarding also includes getting to know the office or working environment. This can be done online via digital office tours, for example, or in the traditional way by sending photos. It is also important to get to know your future colleagues. For example, a video call with the team helps to break the ice.
The figures show that it is worth making the new employee’s start as smooth as possible. For example, 30 percent of all new employees resign in the time between signing their contract and their first day at work.
2. Actual onboarding
Digital work tools
Preboarding is followed by actual onboarding, which begins on the new employee’s first day at work. Supervisors or the HR department should ensure that the employee receives all the necessary work equipment – such as a laptop, keyboard and company cell phone – in good time.
They should also have received access to cloud servers and VPN, communication, HR and project management tools by this time. When they log in to these tools, clearly laid out documents and instructions for the first steps should also be available to enable easy setup from the home office.
Tasks & structures
Onboarding at a professional level is just as important as familiarization with the programs and tools that are important for day-to-day work. New employees should therefore receive an introduction to the products and services as well as the internal structures and contact persons. They should also be clear about their role and tasks. This content-related onboarding can take place via telephone calls, video calls and screen sharing, for example.
Social network
Digital onboarding has to work without an office environment – but onboarders should still feel welcome and safe in the company. As it is not always easy to build personal relationships when working from home, employers should take this point particularly seriously. A digital welcome meeting with the team or department should therefore take place on the first day of work. This gives the new employee the opportunity to introduce themselves in person. Newbie meetings with all new employees are also helpful in establishing a connection and making contacts.
The employer is also responsible for encouraging communication via various channels. The aim is for new employees to come into contact with different people and groups and be accepted into the team. One way of achieving this is through virtual lunch breaks, online coffee breaks or after-work meet-ups. Internal social networks such as messaging services or an intranet also contribute to socialization.
Regular feedback
Phone calls or online calls and regular feedback are particularly important for new employees working from home. Tools that enable short-term internal communication between mentor and new employee are extremely helpful here.
There should also be regular feedback meetings with the line manager, especially at the beginning. Praising and celebrating initial successes is particularly important when working from home, as personal reactions unfortunately often remain hidden when working remotely.
3. Integration
After the introductory and onboarding phase comes the integration and further development of the employee. The aim here is to support the new employee on a professional level and to provide ongoing training. There should also be regular meetings to discuss progress and development potential.
All employees should also receive training to develop their digital skills. A skills analysis of individual employees shows where they currently stand, where there is potential for self-improvement and where an expert should be consulted. Ideally, employees with a high level of digital knowledge should offer short learning units to colleagues who need to catch up.
Find out more about knowledge management now
Knowledge management within companies is becoming increasingly important in today’s fast-paced working world. Dealing with knowledge is therefore highly relevant for organizations.
4. Evaluation
The onboarding process ends with the probationary period LINK. At this point, it becomes clear whether the onboarding goals have been achieved and whether the new employee has arrived professionally and socially. The following questions help to assess the success of digital onboarding (return on hiring):
- Has the employee become part of the team?
- Are they carrying out their tasks independently?
- Do they identify with the corporate culture and company goals?
- Do they make a contribution through professional input and contribute their own ideas?
- Are they actively involved in shaping their career?
What added value do onboarding tools offer?
A good onboarding software offers numerous different functions and at the same time shines with flexibility and simplicity.
After all, a process that is complex and opaque is less likely to be used by employees. The biggest advantage of an onboarding tool is therefore that all components of the onboarding process are structured as simply as possible and are centrally accessible in one place.
5 tips for successful digital onboarding
1. Develop an onboarding plan
The best digital onboarding process is one that has a detailed plan that covers all important information and topics. It also explains how goals and progress are to be communicated. To make it easy to adapt and use digitally, the ideal onboarding process should be documented, for example in the form of a to-do list. The list is shared with new employees so that everyone has the same information and understands what is expected of them. There should also be space in the document to document employees’ progress and thus increase their motivation.
It makes sense to include the following points (among others) in this list:
- Job description and requirements
- Important things to do before starting work, for example tax, payroll and insurance documents or welcome email to the team
- Information about the company, introduction to relevant tools and software, security information, digital access, list of employees and contacts, contact information
- Clarify recurring tasks, for example regular meetings
2. Set expectations and goals
Due to the lack of personal contact in the home office, misunderstandings can quickly arise. This makes it all the more important to communicate clear goals and expectations right from the start. It is important that the new employee has a direct contact person so that problems can be clarified at an early stage. Professional messenger services such as Teams or Slack are ideal for day-to-day communication. These can be used to connect with colleagues at any time, exchange ideas and files or plan projects.
3. Personal meetings via video conference
The new employee should have the opportunity to introduce themselves in person and get to know their team members face-to-face. In remote work, video conferencing software such as Teams, Zoom or Google Meet are suitable for this, as they allow colleagues to build up a sense of closeness and cohesion.
4. Mentors
Many contents can be developed independently through remote onboarding. However, direct, personal contact with new colleagues is not so easy to replace. Contact with a permanent contact person is therefore an essential part of digital onboarding. Ideally, the new employee will have their own mentor to whom they can ask questions and with whom they can set goals.
A 2020 Haufe study shows how important mentors are for the digital onboarding process. The study found that 64% of the companies surveyed said they provide new colleagues with mentors during their digital induction. The mentors help the onboardees with any questions or problems they have. They also help the onboardees with everyday work and social integration. With the help of a mentor, new employees can better build their own network within the company. This in turn increases motivation and identification with the company’s goals in the long term.
Companies that want to implement a digital mentoring program should take care to define the framework conditions for communication and the mentee’s further development. For example, a weekly jour fixe can be set up for the sole purpose of ensuring regular communication.
5. Feedback and continuous optimization
Digital onboarding in particular needs to be constantly reviewed, evaluated and individually adapted. On the one hand, this serves to incorporate new content and, on the other, to incorporate critical feedback and feedback from new employees into the process.
All current and former onboardees should therefore be given the opportunity to evaluate the onboarding process. This ensures that their digital onboarding is always up to date and runs smoothly. Use structured, digital questionnaires to get feedback from your employees. This will make it comparable and help you get the most out of it.
