What is onboarding?

Onboarding, also known as organizational socialization, is the process that helps employees understand the new organization, their new position and job requirements. The new colleague needs to start speaking the same language, feel the organization’s vision and mission in his/her DNA and know his/her way around the new work environment. And above all, feel comfortable with it

Contents of this article

What is the definition of onboarding?

The definition of onboarding is twofold. On the one hand, onboarding is explained as the process of welcoming and training a new employee.  On the other hand, it is explained as answering customers’ questions so that they have a positive experience with the product or service

Onboarding meaning?

Significance of Onboarding is a term from aviation. The literal meaning of onboarding is “boarding. Every passenger’s journey begins with a smiling “welcome aboard.” What does this experience have to do with your organization’s onboarding experience

The onboarding of a new team member is an important part of a new employee’s journey in your company. The goal is for the takeoff, service onboarding and landing to go smoothly. By landing new employees properly in the organization, they are more productive faster, feel more engaged and are less likely to leave

How important is onboarding

Onboarding is very important. It is a current and hot topic in the human resources landscape for good reason. In today’s job market, it is crucial to get and keep the right employee for the right job. That’s what onboarding does; it goes beyond a quick introduction. It is the way to effectively integrate the employee into the organization. An onboarding program course aims to welcome new colleagues well and give them all the relevant information so that they quickly develop into motivated, productive and successful employees

How long does the onboarding period last?

There is no strict rule about how long a new employee’s onboarding period should last. HR professionals generally agree that the onboarding period begins when a candidate accepts the offer and ends when a new employee is fully integrated and performing as expected

If you want to maximize employee engagement and minimize employee turnover, it is important to be thorough. Many companies have an onboarding process that lasts only a month or a few weeks. The risk with this is that there is too much on the newcomer, the responsibilities seem too great and they do not connect with the rest of the company. Let’s take aviation again as an example

“Welcome aboard”

Welcome on board means the plane is ready (the company is prepared), the pilots and cabin crew (leaders) make sense to board and the fuel tanks are full (you have budget). Are you also well prepared to welcome new passengers on board

“Cabin-staff, prepare the cabin for departure”

You interviewed the new employee, tested, checked references and then made an offer. And congratulations; the candidate accepted the offer!  Maybe this is the first hire or maybe the 100th, it doesn’t really matter. But the experience each new employee gains at your company does matter. Every new employee is important, just as every passenger who gets on a plane is unique

“Cockpit to tower; there are 250 people on board”

Before a plane takes off, a lot has to happen. The pilots are in the cockpit doing their pre-flight checks and the cabin crew is there to make sure the passengers’ journey and experience is as comfortable, safe and smooth as possible

So as an hr manager, what should you prepare before this newcomer begins? What’s on your pre-flight employee checklist? Check out our page work-in program example for inspiration

“Make sure your chairs are upright and your tables are safely stored”

Safety comes first in aviation. If we draw the parallel to business it means that it is your responsibility to get everything in order for the new employee and organize a good reception. What do passengers need to know to be safe? And what do new colleagues need to know before the newcomers start? In this regard, it is increasingly important to do preboarding as well. Establish communication with your new colleagues before they start. Send as much paperwork as possible in advance, collect the signed contract, salary and benefits information. Think about what they’ll need for the first day and consider things that will set them up for success from the start

“Behind the scenes”

Cabin crew safely stow everything and prepare the cabin for takeoff

Who is responsible for the new colleagues? Do the colleagues know when the new arrivals are coming and, more importantly, what their role will be

Is a desk set up? Logins/access? Access to the building? What do you need to add them to your systems? This may take time if other departments are involved.  Make sure the newcomers have a contact list with names and titles and that they are on it themselves!

And be creative. What else can you do so that this eager new passenger who joins your challenge has a great first experience? A bag of goodies is a nice welcome on the first day. Do they get a business phone, laptop or something else?  Have them ready to go. It says so much about how professional you are and the value you place on him or her.  Consider assigning a buddy, who will be the support person for the first few weeks as you learn how to handle the new workplace. 

“Please put on your seatbelt”

Onboarding is intended to ease the transition of the new employee, but it is a shared responsibility. The success of the new hires is as much your responsibility as it is theirs. When you fly, the crew doesn’t ask you to fasten your seat belt for fun. They do it to keep you safe. 80% of all airline accidents happen during landing and takeoff. This is absolutely no different when hiring people. 

The success of the new employee, and his or her immediate impression of your company, is influenced by the employee’s experience at takeoff (onboarding) and landing (off-boarding). Realize that without a professional onboarding process, one-third of new employees leave the organization within six months

What training and information does the new employee need to be successful? And how will they learn about your culture? How will you help them navigate? In what ways will you share the company’s story, passion for the product and vision for the future?  How will that affect the way they think about you and the organization

“Place the oxygen mask over the nose and mouth and breathe normally. Be sure to fasten your own oxygen mask before helping others.”

Why do cabin crew ask this? Well, it’s simple. You have to take good care of yourself first before you can successfully help others

When you decided you needed a new colleague, you knew there was a gap to fill. You drafted a good job description and recruited someone. Now it’s time to work out in detail what you expect from him or her. Once you clearly understand what success in their role will look like, you can share those details and get them ready to achieve them. So spend time identifying the critical points (and the urgent points) that they need to achieve in their first 30, 60 and 90 days in their role.  When you sit down with them to discuss how each of you experienced the first 3, 6, 9 months, can you both say that you knew where you were going and what needed to be done to get the newcomer there

Naturally, there are always unexpected changes in cabin pressure to deal with. You can readjust this, but not without notifying everyone, including the new colleague.  The roadmap helps the newcomer adjust and navigate through the challenges ahead

“We wish you a pleasant flight”

So what do you need for a pleasant flight?  You need a fully fueled and prepared aircraft. You need a trained crew and a well-trained and experienced pilot. You need a flight plan and plenty of resources in case of emergency. And you need happy passengers. To us, this doesn’t sound very different from what you need for a successful business. Be a leader, have a checklist and do your prep work. Welcome people into your world kindly and efficiently. 

What should an onboarding trajectory minimally comply with?

• • First, the onboarding process should be a mix of reading, learning (e-learning), interacting (gamification) and doing. Get administrative issues taken care of as soon as possible – preferably in pre-boarding. And plan their schedule, arrange appointments during the first week with various colleagues.

• • Second, be sure to quickly share documentation on company culture and norms. Try to make it as interactive as possible. That’s why at ENBOQ we develop interactive stories where employees actively engage with the learning themselves.

• • Third, provide role- and/or team-specific tools that the new employee may need. In addition to phone, computer and access pass, consider a glossary of company jargon and a who-is-who cheat sheet.

• • Make the stressful settling-in period more manageable by pairing the new employee with a buddy: a more experienced team member who can show him/her the ropes.

• • Define your goals and determine how you will measure success along the way. Create a detailed plan for the onboarding experience that clearly lets the new employee know how they can contribute to your success. 

With these basics in hand, we think you will have a smooth flight and be able to take to the skies safely

ENBOQ and onboarding

ENBOQ turns your corporate story into an interactive online experience. We turn tough and boring documentation into an exciting adventure and make sure your employees learn about the organization in an effective and consistent way. Fun and challenging!