If you wait until day one to hire a new employee, you’re already behind. 65% of employers hire employees who don’t show up on the first day. So, how can you ensure retention of employees, even better guaranteed performance from the time of hiring.
The answer is preboarding.
Though people use preboarding and onboarding interchangeably, they are not same. Pre boarding as the name suggests, occurs before the actual onboarding process.
Pre boarding is the period between an employee accepting their job offer and their first day.
In this article we will present to you some of the ways you can do pre-boarding.
What is pre boarding?
Pre boarding is the process of preparing new hires for their first day on the job. It is an important step in the recruitment process that can help set new hires up for success and improve their overall experience with your company.
After you have signed an employee to their first day, employees may have many thoughts and questions leading to stress and anxiety.
The right pre-boarding strategy can streamline your employee onboarding process and bridge the gap between signing the employee and onboarding process.
Pre boarding best practices you can use
Provide information
Send new hires a package of information about your company, including its culture, values, and mission statement. This will give them a sense of what to expect and help them feel more connected to your organisation.
Answer the most frequently asked questions in case the new hire might have the same concerns or queries like
- What are the working hours and lunch breaks?
- Where do I park? How do I find the front door?
- Is there an office canteen?
- What’s the culture like?
- What do I have to know?
- What office supplies do I need to carry?
- What is appropriate to wear as per the office culture?
Assign a buddy
Assign a “buddy” or mentor to new hires to help them navigate the organization and answer any questions they may have.
Assign a person who can keep new hires informed throughout the pre-boarding process. Let them know what to expect next, what is expected of them and provide clear instructions on how to complete each step.
Set up technology
Make sure new hires have access to the technology and tools they’ll need to do their job, such as email, software, and hardware.
Even before their first day try to make them comfortable with the technologies and software they will be using on a day to day basis.
Schedule orientation
Schedule an orientation for new hires to learn about the company’s policies, procedures, and expectations.
Set up a casual meeting between the office employees and new hires which will make the environment comfortable for the new hires, help them network with employees from other departments.
Make it personal
Make the pre-boarding process personal and welcoming. Send a personal welcome message or gift, and make sure the new hire feels welcomed and valued from the start.
Don’t play by the rules and send the new hires formal automated welcome messages. Make the welcome message personnel as per the new hires job title and personality.
Read our next blog “How to write a new employee message (with welcome package ideas)“, to create your own personalized welcome message.
By following these pre boarding best practices , you can create an effective pre-boarding process that sets new hires up for success.
Remember that pre-boarding is not just about getting new hires ready for their first day, it is also about building a relationship with them and making them feel like a valuable part of the team.
If you are looking for an expert to get help with pre boarding and onboarding your new hires, call or reach out via WhatsApp on +977-9802848899 or drop a mail at learninfinityco@gmail.com.
