Sep
6

How To Develop a Successful Employee Onboarding Process

By Jason Linett

In the past year, small businesses in the United States have hired millions of new employees. Once a business starts to grow, trying to handle all of the new work created by an increase in customers can be difficult. Ignoring the need for new employees can actually put your business at a disadvantage. This is why you need to find and hire capable employees to help you out. 

The main thing you need to keep in mind when trying to get new employees acclimated to how your business runs is onboarding them properly. A thorough training process will make an employee feel more connected and engaged. Read below to find out more about how to develop a successful employee onboarding process. 

Peer Mentors Are Essential

Most business owners have a few key employees that know the ins and outs of their operations. As you start to develop an onboarding process for new team members, be sure to use these valued employees to help. Assigning new employees a peer mentor is a great way to show them the ropes. Of course, you will need to make this mentorship worth the effort for your existing employees. 

Providing bonuses and raises to employees that help you mentor new team members is crucial. Before you allow this mentorship to begin, lay out some ground rules for everyone involved. Providing a checklist of things that need to be covered during this mentorship will help you keep this part of the onboarding process functional. 

Give New Employees a Detailed Breakdown of Their Responsibilities

Allowing a new employee to come into your operation with little to no idea of what is expected of them can be disastrous. Without information about what their responsibilities are, the new employee is bound to make mistakes. These mistakes can affect the level of service provided to your customers. This is why you have to take the time to document the responsibilities a new employee has in their role with your company. 

By providing a detailed breakdown, you can remove any doubt regarding what is expected of a new team member. Working with existing employees is a great way to get feedback on how to relay the job responsibilities the new employee has. Making the creation of an onboarding process a team effort can help to reduce the amount of work you have to take on. 

Check-In With New Employees

As the owner of a small business, you have to make sure your new employees are well taken care of. This is why you need to institute an open-door policy with new hires. Letting your new employees know that you are there for them should they need to ask a question or voice a concern is important. Checking in with a new hire routinely is also a good way to find out about any problems that may exist early on.

With a comprehensive onboarding process, you can get new hires trained and ready to work in no time at all.