How to Create Onboarding Processes That Boost Growth to Scale Efficiently

Rapidly scaling businesses need new hires, fast. Often, the focus is on the hiring process, and onboarding is an afterthought. This makes onboarding a heavy lift for a human resources team that already has a ton of interviews, job listings, and regular duties on their plate.

How can your growing business efficiently onboard and support new employees while continuing to reach your hiring goals? After working with business owners for over two decades, I have the solution: Build an effective onboarding process. 

Following is an onboarding framework you can utilize, along with a few out-of-the-box ideas for checking in on new employees. Hint: You don’t always have to schedule a weekly one-on-one.

Onboarding requires three separate written processes:

1. Your HR team needs a documented process to follow. Since they generally follow the same steps with each hire, a system can make onboarding smooth and straightforward. The checklist should include a follow-up method to determine if the employee needs additional support after onboarding. 
2. You need a general process that all employees follow. This includes your “welcome” video, employee manual, and a company culture video.
3. You need a checklist for each position you are hiring for. Develop these processes in partnership with the role’s manager to ensure they encompass all of the work under their purview.

Sample Checklist for HR 

While the checklist below is not detailed, it will give you ideas about which steps to include in your HR checklist. 

• Prepare to onboard the new hire. This includes setting up everything the new employee will need before they can do their job, such as their email address, login, and phone line.
• Add them to all systems. Ensure the new hire is added to all necessary systems and has the required permissions and access.
• Send a “welcome” email with checklists the new hire must follow.
• Create onboarding tasks in your task management system. Many of your new hires’ tasks can be self-guided. Use your task management system to ensure they are performed promptly.
• Schedule a meeting to walk new hires through the initial steps. While your new employee can complete most of their onboarding independently, you must set up a meeting for initial onboarding. During this meeting, walk them through how to access their email and the other platforms they will utilize to complete the onboarding process.
• Schedule a follow-up. HR must follow up with new hires over the coming weeks to ensure they are supported. You can do this one-on-one, or create your own follow-up system, inspired by the bright Ideas section below.

Sample Checklist for New Employees

Employees will receive a checklist as part of their “welcome” email, but it should not be one extensive checklist. Instead, it should consist of a series of processes encompassing the core tasks of their position. This will enable them to understand how their role fits within the company framework and understand the processes necessary to perform their functions to your standard. 

Below is an overview of what to include on an employee checklist. Please note that each action must detail step-by-step instructions the employee can follow with minimal additional help from HR. 

• Meet with HR. 
• Access your email.
• Follow the welcome email instructions.
• Watch the following videos: an introduction to the company, the onboarding process, a company overview, organizational structure and departments, staff introduction, core competencies, management style, and technology and tools.
• Watch the video about the software we use and read the accompanying information on how to use it. 
• Refer to the glossary of key terminology. 
• Complete the tasks assigned to you in the task management system.
• Follow the checklists specific to your new job.

I recommend using video for many of these introductory steps because it allows company executives to communicate directly with the new hire. 

Checking in can be a challenge in a growing company. If you are onboarding dozens of new employees every week, performing a one-on-one with each new hire is likely not feasible. However, employees need regular check-ins. So, what is a busy team to do?

Here are two bright ideas:  

1. Check in with your new staff through weekly surveys that ask questions like: 

• What is your stress level?
• How are you getting along? 
• Do you have questions? 

Follow up over email by providing resources and answers to help with their replies.

2. Schedule a monthly “coffee hour” with all new staff members. Make it an open group chat where new hires can ask questions of the CEO or HR Director for an hour or so.

Creating an onboarding process and checking in with new hires is vital to ensuring they have the resources they need to do a great job. After all, that’s why you hired them.

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This article was written by Entrepreneurs' Organization from Inc. and was legally licensed through the DiveMarketplace by Industry Dive. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.