The first footsteps in the organization if marked with apathy or regularity, lead to disengagement early on. There is no two ways about it that having a great onboarding is vital to welcoming new employees. It is about giving them all the resources that help them perform and settle in the organization.
During the peak of COVID, great onboarding meant a great Onboarding Kit. From fancy tumblers to t-shirts to sleek gadgets, organizations were going above and beyond to give that personal touch which was lacking due to the remoteness of employees. Now, even though a standard practice the oomph has gone from the Onboarding Kit.
As we enter the era of Back to Office, the onboarding kits are slowly making way for a more personalized touch at offices, from lunches to buddy programs and regular check-ins during hyper-care (first 90 days) period.
The question I posit is whether Onboarding Kit or Not?
Well, a good onboarding has to have two parts – 1. Introduction of the Company and Policies. Honestly, if an employee is not told of all HR policies on Day 1, there will never be another day. Company values and business propositions are the secondary agenda on the list. Even if the employee connects 10% on the first day it is enough to tether them to the organisation.
Also, good preparedness on the first day takes it to a whole another level- get their emails, IDs, and other resources pooled before they join and you are looking at a streamlined onboarding process. It doesn’t need a band or a welcoming crew, but a good step-by-step process to induct a new employee.
One of my best onboarding I think was with my first company, we got a three-day induction with leadership and understood what the company stood for. If someone asked me today what is TCOC I might still be able to tell all and it has been almost 8 years since I left that organisation.
Instilling values is a long-drawn process and requires effort at every step. But once it becomes a standard practice it is easier to replicate at mass scale.
It is harder to do so remotely, so an onboarding kit helps build that moment of happiness with the employee but alas as we move to more office setup, we are doing less of these.
So perhaps smaller mementos are in order, a laptop with personalized stickers, a shipper, or perhaps a photo frame to keep on your desk. A small knick-knack helps the employee feel their desk is their own but also reinforces that being a new part of the organization is momentous for the organization too.
A small effort towards making your onboarding standard and special is all you need for it to leave an impression that helps the employee navigate the first week jitters and make them feel at ease.
