Onboarding: what is it and why is it key to employee performance?

These are the characteristics and functions of onboarding, a key process in HR management.

Adapting to a new job is not always an easy task; in fact, most applicants tend to quit within a month of accepting a new job.

Fortunately, there is a resource that many companies use to speed up the adaptation process and ensure that the employee gets off to a good start in the organization: onboarding..

This process has a wide variety of advantages for both the company and the employee, and can have a positive impact on their individual performance as well as that of the entire organization.

What is onboarding?

The onboarding process is a plan of action used by a company or organization to ensure the proper adaptation of its employees to their new position and to prevent them from resigning after a short period of time due to a sudden change of activity.

It is based on a methodology designed by the company itself and takes into account all those aspects that the employee will encounter for the first time in his new role, making things easier for him to adapt in the shortest possible time.

The onboarding process includes aspects such as the new habits of the organization, the communication of their superiors and colleagues, where the employee will perform the functions and what are the means of work.

Phases of onboarding

The onboarding process consists of 4 strategic phases designed to ensure the new employee's correct adaptation to his or her job. These are briefly summarized below.

1. Pre-onboarding

The first phase is Pre-onboarding, and it is essential for the employee to receive a good essential for the employee to receive a good first impression of the new organization in which he/she is about to work..

In this phase of the process it is important that the communication between the company and the employee is fluid, transparent and cordial, since it depends on it that the applicant finally decides to opt for the position or decline it.

Any failure in communication may cause the employee to doubt his or her decision to stay with the company, which is why it is essential that the communication between the company and the employee be fluid, transparent and cordial.For this reason, it is essential to keep him/her informed of all organizational issues.

It is also advisable to provide assistance with any needs he/she may have in this preliminary phase, such as checking if he/she needs help with the initial paperwork.

2. Welcome

The second phase is based on helping the new employee to adapt to the new environment just before he/she starts working in the organization.

In this period it is recommended to in briefing on the main notions about the company's organization, the working methods, the payroll policy, the new employee's job, and the new employee's job description.The first phase should not last more than two weeks, and should be completed within the first two weeks of work.

This phase should not last more than a week and the new employee is also usually introduced to his or her colleagues in the division or department.

3. Specific training

The specific training phase is crucial within the onboarding process, since it is the one in which the new employee begins to familiarize himself with the tasks involved in his job, in contact with the company's Learning Management System..

In this formal training phase, each new employee will be brought up to date on the main knowledge about his or her job and also on his or her promotion possibilities.

4. Transition

The last phase is the transition phase, and is based on facilitating the transformation from an applicant to a new employee of the company with all its implications and responsibilities.... responsibilities.

In this phase, the employee's expectations and objectives are also established as a motivational strategy and in order to increase his or her productivity.

Functions of this HR process

There are many functions and utilities of onboarding in terms of employee job performance, these are the most relevant.

1. Facilitating communication

In any company or organization, internal communication is essential as a strategy to successfully achieve each and every one of the short and long term objectives established by the company or organization. It should not be forgotten that organizations dedicated to work are composed of individuals who are not born knowing everything that needs to be done in a given company.

This avoids misunderstandings about where the responsibilities associated with each employee's position begin and end, so that each part of the organization is aware of its responsibilities.This avoids misunderstandings about where the responsibilities associated with each employee's position begin and end, so that each party fulfills his or her role without overlapping tasks between people.

2. Understanding the organizational culture of the company

Another of the essential functions of onboarding is to achieve that the employee internalizes the essential values of the company, as well as its organizational culture and daily teamwork habits..

With a thorough knowledge of the internal mechanisms of the organization, each employee will know exactly what his or her task is and how to carry it out so as not to go against the organization's founding interests and values.

3. Facilitating adaptation

Thanks to the Onboarding process, each employee is trained in the shortest possible time, which will allow him/her to adapt more quickly to his/her job position and to successfully reach a level of experience similar to that of their colleagues who have already started before..

In addition, a short adaptation period usually has a positive influence on the employee's performance, both at work and also, and especially, at a personal and emotional level, which in turn has a significant impact on his or her productivity.

4. Ensure proper training

The onboarding process also serves to resolve any doubts that may arise during the development of the new job, avoiding that these paralyze the employee for fear of making a mistake..

An effective onboarding plan must take into account all the logistical and organizational aspects of a job and must address all those elements that may raise doubts or problems in the new employee.

5. Emotional well-being

As noted above, an employee who feels useful and integrated is more likely to perform his or her activities more productively and with a higher job performance. than that of another employee who is finding it difficult to adapt and who has not participated in an onboarding process.

Carrying out a correct and individualized onboarding process that takes into account all the most important organizational elements for the new employee will be essential to improve his or her performance.

In addition, in general, any employee who feels supported from the first day will see an increase in his or her emotional well-being and therefore, his or her work situation will be much better.

Do you want to train in HR?

If you are thinking of specializing in the field of HR, you may be interested in the Master in Selection and Talent Management promoted by the University of Malaga (UMA). Throughout its approximately 15 months of duration, this Master offers the possibility of being trained by professionals of the sector in small groups, and addressing both the "entry" of workers and recruitment, as well as the management and training of teams and personnel of the different departments of a company, all with a fundamentally practical orientation.

Another training option that may also fit with what you are looking for is the Specialization Diploma in Talent Attraction, Attraction, Evaluation and Loyalty of Talent from the University of Malaga, an online specialization program that lasts 7 months and teaches the theory and practice of classic and the most current methodologies, taking advantage of the potential of new technologies applied to Human Resources.

To learn more about UMA's HR training options, visit their website.