New jobs are stressful. Nowadays companies are doing more to smooth out the process, but are we doing enough? Instead of the usual skills and technique training, what if we told you, there’s actually more that you can do to get your new hires ready and committed to the company?

1. Focus on the people and building long-term connections

A pitfall of the common on-boarding process is the sole focus on skills and training. No doubt, having a skillfully trained employee can do wonders to building a business, however that only applies if they are willing to stay and commit to the company.

If on the other hand, companies begin the on-boarding process with a focus first on the people, and in helping new hires bond and identify with others in the company, you speed up the familiarising process motivating people to take more initiative in the business. This can be as simple as setting up a lunch on the first day for the team to get to know each other, where they can bond outside of work, promoting a more collaborative culture.

2. Get the paperwork out of the way

Not many people can say they’re truly passionate about paperwork, so it’s probably best not to throw a bulk load of paperwork at the newcomer the second they sit down. Understandably, there are things that need to be filled out from a legal standpoint.

A good way to approach this is to organise all the necessary documents ahead of time and set a designated time for the newcomer to fill this out. If possible, it may be good to send resources like employee handbooks and other documents to the newcomer beforehand so you limit the tedious paperwork that needs to be completed on the first day.

Bottom-line : making it about the people

At the end of the day, the best way to engage staff whether it’s in the beginning or later down the line is only achieved through thinking about the people. By outsourcing administratively heavy tasks like payroll and recruitment to HR outsourcing services, HR professionals are able to dedicate more time in carrying out value adding strategies like improving the orientation process to increase retention and boost customer satisfaction.

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Onboarding: How to get new hires started on the right track

Career Advice Career counselling, advice and guidance
Select article category

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Productivity Tips
Workplace English
Industry Stories
Job Search in Hong Kong
HR Career Success
How to Get Promoted
Career Path Planning
Career Coaching & Guidance
Advice Columnist