Phew! It was a long slog, but you finally landed that key senior project manager you’ve needed for what seemed like forever. Time to relax after a job well done, right? Of course not. The work of inserting a productive, happy new employee into your firm’s operations and culture is only just beginning. It’s time for onboarding.

As crucial a role as this part of the hiring process is, it amazes us how many firms give it short shrift. Sure, most have a written “onboarding” process – usually an hour-by-hour schedule that the new hire follows, pushing them from one meeting, video training session or document signing to the next. Many of these policies are woefully out of date, written years or even decades ago.

We’re encouraged, however, by the growing interest in improving the onboarding process. In November of 2023, a discussion in the PSMJ Pro Portal network’s Human Resources Exchange drew 15 responses to a request for shared insight into what other firms are doing with onboarding. And the annual Deltek Clarity study indicates an increasing recognition of the importance of onboarding. When survey respondents were asked about their top talent acquisition strategies, the percentage that said their top priority was “Improve the onboarding process” grew from 7% in 2022 to 16% in 2024.

HERE ARE 6 REASONS THAT EFFECTIVE ONBOARDING IS SO IMPORTANT:

1. Ease their fears.
   
   Even after a new hire has made the leap and signed the offer sheet, there usually remains a large degree of trepidation, so you need to set their mind at ease, and right away.

2. Counter buyer’s remorse.
   
   In the brilliant sitcom “Arrested Development,” the character Gob’s signature line was “I’ve made a huge mistake.” Newly hired employees often share this sentiment. It needs to be countered by a concerted, coordinated and well-executed effort to make the new hire feel welcome.

3. The 90-day test.
   
   The first 90 days of a new job are critical. People subconsciously decide that they’ve made a mistake and that they’re going to leave within the first three months of joining a new firm, even if they might stay longer. Studies also show that people who perform poorly in the first 90 days continue to perform poorly until they finally leave or are terminated.

4. Generational expectations.
   
   Many young people in the GenZ and Millennial cohort were raised in a more structured environment than those of the older generations. While we’re not aware of a study on the topic, it would be interesting to know what percentage of Baby Boomers walked to elementary school unaccompanied by an adult compared with the percentage of GenZ who did. For this reason, it is important that the onboarding process be structured, detailed and followed to a tee.

5. Current employee morale.
   
   The firm’s existing employees look forward to a new hire beginning to contribute – often to ease their own load – and their empathetic side wants to see their new colleague succeed.

6. Money
   
   The faster a new hire is acclimated, the sooner they start earning revenue for the firm (or in the case of administrative or leadership people, helping others earn revenue for the firm.) Project hires typically take about 90 days to reach 80-85% productivity, while strategic hires may need six months to a year. A strong onboarding process will shorten this timeline, maximizing the return on your investment.

How can you build a strong, efficient and successful onboarding program that sufficiently integrates, informs and embraces your coveted new employees?

PRIORITIZE ONBOARDING

Onboarding is not just a formality; it is where you lay the groundwork for a new hire’s long-term engagement and productivity. If they feel unsupported or disconnected – even in the first few hours of their very first day – regret can creep in. Winning them over and getting their career with your firm off on the right foot is a matter of importance that should be given its appropriate consideration.

SET CLEAR GOALS

Establish clear, measurable goals for your onboarding process. Make sure there’s a checklist to go along with the schedule. Goals should be specific. Not: 2:00-2:30 pm, Day Two -- “visit the IT department,” but:

Days 1 and 2

• Meet with IT director Jesse and at least two other team members for at least a combined 90 minutes

• Address email protocol

• Review cybersecurity policies and practices

• Review artificial intelligence policy

• Describe and explain software applications

• Walk through company intranet components and functionality

KEEP IT FRESH

Ensure that new hires aren’t burdened with endless hours of tedious chores piled on top of one another. Mix in fun activities and social interaction with necessary tasks like video training and filling out forms. Write this into the plan.

ASSIGN A “NEW HIRE GUIDE”

Select one employee (or more, if appropriate) to track the new hire’s progress and confirm that the onboarding program is being executed as expected and desired. The guide should frequently ask the new hire if they have any questions. Overcommunication is vastly preferable to the opposite – don’t leave them there to languish in boredom and uncertainty. The guide shouldn’t be the new employee’s direct report, and it doesn’t have to be the most direct peer – but it should be a responsible employee with sufficient tenure to know their way around.

BE CONCISE—BUT THOROUGH

Your onboarding program needs to strike a balance between thoroughness and conciseness. Don’t overwhelm your new hires with information, but don’t skimp on the details either. Handle administrative tasks quickly. Have new hires complete paperwork before their first day so they can focus on more important things when they arrive. Keep training sessions short — 45 minutes max, and spread them out over time. This prevents the dreaded “firehose effect,” where new hires are bombarded with too much information all at once. Divide tasks into manageable portions so that new hires retain what they learn and can apply it effectively.

USE TECHNOLOGY TO DRIVE AND TRACK SUCCESS

This is one area where most firms could improve. Onboarding policies created even a few years ago likely overlook technological advancements that can help drive and track the early-stage integration of a new employee. These include:

• A centralized onboarding platform.
  
  A dedicated onboarding system streamlines all aspects of the onboarding process. It gives new hires a single point of access and ensures that nothing slips through the cracks on your end. Choose a platform that offers customizable workflows, automated reminders, and easy access to necessary documents and resources. BambooHR and Workday are two of the most popular programs, but there are many others.

• Automate Administrative Tasks.
  
  Use your onboarding platform to automate the distribution and collection of essential paperwork. Use the time you save with impersonal automated functions to incorporate more interpersonal and social activities.

• Implement a Learning Management System (LMS).
  
  An LMS allows you to deliver training in a structured and scalable way. Offer a mix of mandatory training modules, role-specific tutorials, and optional resources for further learning, and track progress automatically. This data will allow you to intervene early if someone is falling behind with training, preventing small issues from becoming big problems.

• Track Engagement and Progress.
  
  Use your onboarding platform and LMS to collect data on how new hires are engaging with the overall process. Are they completing their tasks on time? Are they participating in cultural integration activities? Are they keeping up with their training modules? Assign someone (e.g., HR director, new hire guide) to review this data regularly to identify any bottlenecks or areas where new hires are struggling.

• Leverage Analytics for Continuous Improvement.
  
  Compile and analyze the data you collect to draw broader conclusions and improve the program. Look at key metrics such as time-to-productivity, employee engagement scores, and retention rates of employees who completed the onboarding program. Use these insights to fine-tune your onboarding process. Maybe you’ll find that new hires are struggling with a particular training module, indicating a need for clearer instructions or additional support. Or perhaps the data shows that employees who participate in certain cultural integration activities are more likely to stay with the company long-term.

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