There have been many changes over the last two years, one of the biggest being a shift towards hybrid and remote working. And whilst many organisations have reintroduced office working, millions of people across the world now have a least some element of remote working in their lives.
Because of this, many new starters will not be in offices with their managers, team members or HR when they start a new job. Many of them may work remotely full time due to not having an office nearby, or may work hybrid only going into an office a couple of days a week, which may not necessarily be the same days as their team.
Onboarding can be an overwhelming and stressful time under normal circumstances, but especially when new employees are starting during an unpredictable time.
This means that organisations need to take steps to ensure that new starters are getting a consistently great onboarding process, whether they are in a work place, at home, or somewhere in-between.
Using a strong performance management system is a great way to ensure all new employees get a great onboarding experience, by following these simple steps.
All line managers should have weekly one on one meetings with new starters, in order to check on how they are settling, answer any questions they may have, and record performance and engagement levels on their performance management system.
Whether these meetings are face to face or over video call, having dedicated time set aside each week gives new employees the chance to talk to managers without worrying they’re being an annoyance, and it’s a great way to build a good employee / employer relationship from the get go!
Set new starters short term, simple and agile goals. By setting goals that can be achieved within a few days / weeks, you allow the new starter to hit the ground running, ensuring they aren’t bored, but not overwhelmed either.
These goals are a great way to get them familiar with the organisation, their new team, and their role. Set them goals such as ‘set up a meeting with each member of your team, introduce yourself and find out what they do’ and ‘familiarise yourself with the organisations cyber security protocols’.
Managers can then check progress against these goals in their one to one meetings, enabling them to check the employee’s productivity, even if they aren’t sat in an office with them. Progress against these goals can then be recorded so HR can also track the staff member’s productivity.
People managers should establish a development plan with new starters. This doesn’t need to map out their next five years at the organisation, but by showing a new starter how they can progress in their role, and showing you support their growth, is a great way to get new staff invested in their role early.
At the end of the day, a great onboarding process is about making sure your new employees feel seen, supported and engaged no matter where they work from, and you can do this by using great performance management in your organisation.
To find out more, book a free demo of Clear Revie or speak to a member of our team: +44 (0)20 3637 4489.