Employee induction: the secrets of successful onboarding

Integrating a new employee into your team is one of the key issues in human resources.

Did you think that the recruitment process was over once the employment contract had been signed? You'd be wrong! 🧐

In fact, integrating an employee is an essential stage in the HR process. And it's best not to neglect it, or risk seeing your latest recruits jump ship!

To help you through this crucial stage, here's a guide to the best practices you should adopt to successfully integrate your employees.

See all software Recruiting

Let's take a look at the basics of employee induction

The principle of onboarding

Employee induction, also known as onboarding, is the final phase of the recruitment process.

Often forgotten or botched, this stage is crucial in helping the new employee get to grips with the job, the team, the manager and the company culture. Without it, the effort put in during the recruitment phase can be undone by the new recruit's hasty departure. ☝️

How does it work? Onboarding consists of welcoming the new employee in order to create a bond and build loyalty.

At first glance, it may seem simple, but employee induction involves a number of distinct stages:

• pre-boarding, which, as the name suggests, is the period preceding the employee's first steps in the company, after confirmation of recruitment,
• the induction days, which correspond to the phase of welcoming the new employee,
• monitoring during the integration period, which incorporates the employee's training.

💡A good induction is the logical continuation of a successful candidate experience.

What is the right length of an employee induction period?

As you will have realised, employee induction is much more than a simple welcome, so you need to consider a longer period than just one week.

👉 It is generally accepted that an effective induction period should not be less than one month.

This period allows new recruits to familiarise themselves with their role and the company environment, while establishing social connections.

For complete and effective onboarding, it is recommended that the induction process begins before the new employee joins the company, and continues well beyond the probationary period.

This means that onboarding can last up to six months, and even extend right up to the first annual appraisal interview!

This may seem a long time to some, but it ensures that new employees feel supported and committed throughout their transition to the company.

The importance of a good employee induction in 4 points

Onboarding is not just a trendy managerial trend that only concerns innovative structures and start-ups. This employee induction process is at the heart of HR priorities.

Here's a closer look at what's at stake. 🔎

#1 Improved retention rates

One of the positive impacts of a good induction is an improvement in the employee retention rate.

Indeed, by feeling welcomed and valued from the outset, new employees are more inclined to make a long-term commitment.

This reduces the risk of turnover and turnover - with early resignation - and the costs associated with recruitment.

💡 According to the recruitment firm Deloitte, a bad recruitment would cost an average of 50,000 euros (or even much more for certain managerial or strategic functions). Now you understand the importance of a successful employee induction.

Cabinet Deloitte à l’occasion de l’évènement Future of HR

#2 Increased productivity

Numerous studies prove it: a happy employee is a high-performing employee.

But integrating new employees is not just about getting them to stay with the company. This is where HR departments come into play when it comes to onboarding: improving employee productivity.

👉 In fact, we've seen that the implementation of a structured induction increases an employee's productivity.

By taking the time to properly integrate the new employee into your company, you can reach the famous break-even point for an employee more quickly. In other words, the point at which the returns they bring outweigh the costs of hiring them.

#3 Strengthening commitment

A structured onboarding process is also an opportunity to create strong commitment right from the start.

Onboarding should not be seen as a cost, but as an investment.

#4 Creating a positive working environment

A well-prepared employee induction ensures that the employee feels at home in the company, fostering a positive climate and an environment conducive to well-being at work!

It also helps to enhance your employer brand and make your company more attractive. It's a real competitive advantage that can help you stand out in the war for talent! ⚔️

How do you integrate an employee? Good practice in 5 steps

Stage one: preparation

Pre-boarding is the phase that follows the signing and acceptance of the job offer by the candidate.

This period lasts until the candidate officially joins the company. But it's at this point that the candidate runs the risk of being chased away by another company...

To avoid being ghosted, it is essential to maintain a link with the employee until he or she takes up the job.

How can you do this? 🧐 By communicating!

Remain available to the candidate and don't hesitate to share information by e-mail or text message. You can even invite the new recruit to take part in certain company events. This is an opportunity to introduce yourself and talk to your future colleagues.

You can also take the opportunity to pass on information about the onboarding process, so that the candidate can get to grips with your organisation as smoothly as possible .

In this way, you maximise your chances of securing your recruitment. A candidate who already has one foot in the company is less likely to let you down.

💡The phenomenon of ghosting is when a candidate disappears during the recruitment process and is never heard from again. A practice that has become widespread in recent years.

Stage two: the first-day welcome

That's it, the employee's official arrival at the company is here!

To give them the best possible welcome, the induction day should be organised around four basic points:

• a tour of the site and premises
• initial discussions with the manager
• meeting the staff,
• handing over equipment and administrative documents.

This onboarding stage is crucial!

👉 The first day is often a source of stress and many questions. The aim is to guide the employee through their new working environment and put them at ease as they take up their new post.

At the end of the day, the new recruit should have a positive view of your company, but also be able to hit the ground running.

For example, you could organise a lunch or provide a welcome pack to help the employee settle in.

Stage three: training and development

Depending on the organisation and the job, it may be a good idea to provide training when the new employee arrives.

This will introduce the organisational process, tools and methods. It's a phase that will help them understand your company's missions and expectations.

Stage four: monitoring and feedback

Once the first few days have passed, it's not uncommon to find that many HR staff put an end to onboarding.

But your job doesn't stop there!

In practice, you can ask for feedback or organise regular follow-up with the new employee at variable intervals depending on the profile.

By giving your new employee the opportunity to have their say after the first week, you can measure how well they've integrated into the team.

In this respect, a feedback report is a good way of quickly identifying any difficulties and making adjustments if necessary.

💡 According to a study by Cadremploi, almost 7 out of 10 managers resign within 6 months of being hired.

Cadremploi

Final stage: evaluating employee integration

Finally, after the first few months, you can set up a more comprehensive evaluation.

This is an opportunity to put things straight, on both sides, and to take stock of the trial period.

Of course, this phase does not necessarily mean the end of the employee's integration process. ☝️

It can be used to confirm the recruitment, but also to adapt certain processes and, why not, to improve the onboarding strategy.

Example of an employee induction process

In practical terms, here's an example of an employee induction based on best practice and the essential stages:

• Anticipate the arrival of the new recruit by preparing him or her, in particular by adapting access to the necessary tools.
• Prepare the team for the arrival of a new member, following the departure of an employee, for example.
• Welcome the newcomer.
• Introduce them to key employees and familiarise them with the company's values and culture, using a welcome booklet for example.
• Set up a training programme for new employees so that they can get up to speed quickly.
• Schedule regular check-ups with the HR department to ensure that the candidate's integration is going well and to gather their first impressions.
• Appoint a mentor or sponsor to guide the new employee during the first few weeks and provide personalised support.

Successful employee induction with the right tools

No company can do without an employee induction process.

However, every ship is different, and to optimise onboarding, it makes sense to rely on ATS, or Applicant Tracking System, or other more comprehensive HR software. ☝️

The best induction programmes have the advantage of resembling the company and adapting to new recruits.

The result is a smoother, more personalised induction process .

You can even adapt it to remote onboarding in the context of hybrid working that involves teleworking.

⚒️ This is the case with GIRH Remote, for example. Whether you're recruiting in France or abroad, this service acts like an EOR, helping you with all your HR procedures in over 60 countries.

With a 5-stage induction process, you can offer your new recruits a fast, secure and compliant onboarding:

• Simple registration of the new employee;
• A self-registration system for employees to add their administrative details and import the required supporting documents;
• A check on visas and work permits for recruitment abroad;
• Sending the employment contract for official signature;
• Automatic activation of status with enrolment in payroll and benefits programmes.

Managers and HR have full and clear visibility of the entire process, and employees receive automatic alerts of action to be taken and progress on integration.

See all software Recruiting

Employee induction: it's up to you

The employee induction process is an integral part of a company's HR practices.

In the age of the Great Resignation and conscious quitting, HR departments have realised that the employee experience is not an option.

However, before they can convince future employees to stay, they still have to make them want to come on board!