An onboarding program usually includes getting onboarding documents filled, introducing new hires to the team via email, orientation, and formal training. Are you aware of the fact that your onboarding program can directly influence the employee turnover rate?
This is precisely why you should do everything you can to hook your new employees to the company culture. So to make your job a bit easy, we have curated a list of 5 fantastic onboarding ideas that you can try for your next onboarding program.
1. Team lunch
Plan a team lunch for your new hires, their managers, and other senior staff members. Lunch is a terrific way for new employees to meet and mingle with existing and other newly recruited coworkers.
Managers and the new hires will be dealing with each other the most. It’s far easier for them to get to know each other outside of the official business environment than it is to figure out each other’s personalities while working on a project. Whether your onboarding program is held online or offline team lunch is quite possible.
2. Buddy
Every new employee should be assigned a friend. This buddy shall help the new employee to know the company culture, the rules, and regulations, as well as get accustomed to the workplace They could even do an office tour for the new employee. Any doubts the employee shall have, the buddy is the one they can count on to clarify them. Having someone as a partner to support you in the new environment is the best thing you can do for your new employees.
3. Playtime
You could arrange some fun games and activities for all the new employees to know each other. The games could be held inside the office. For example, a treasure hunt in the office for them to get acquainted with all the various departments and the entire office premise. Alternatively, you can hire a company that organizes such games and team-building events and conduct these activities outside the office.
Even in the work-from-home culture, you can incorporate games into onboarding. You are most probably using an onboarding software and these software programs can enable you to conduct games while giving them formal training. Fun games on a video call aren’t a bad idea either.
4. Gift on completing 100 days
Who doesn’t like gifts and the person who gives gifts too? You can give them a present for completing 100 days in the office. Appreciate their effort so far.
Please do not provide any sort of incentive or bonus. It’s a modest expression of thanks, so it shouldn’t appear to be a bribe to keep them working for you.
If you’re going to use this idea, don’t go overboard with the number of days. Employees have recently begun determining whether or not they wish to leave their jobs within the first three months of employment. As a result, 100 days is a decent time frame. It’s a terrific opportunity to show them that they’re important. It is probably the right moment to tell them that they are required in the company and that their efforts are well appreciated.
5. Better introduction
The standard introductions with their name, position, and hobbies on email are no good. Most of the employees would probably ignore this mail. Try something different. Here’s where you can get creative. For example, you can record a video of employees introducing themselves and send it on your social platform. If you want to stick to the email method, you can go beyond their education and hobbies and add details that would actually introduce them as a person.
Conclusion
There is a lot an HR can do to make the onboarding program fun, exciting and entertaining. You are free to talk with your employees to get some ideas for the onboarding process or you can use some on ours. The purpose of onboarding is not just documentation and training, it is also to make the new employees comfortable and there is no better way to do this than to add some fun elements here and there.
