Bringing on a new hire requires attention and training to get them up and running. To ensure they build good workflow habits and understand the productivity platforms, having a good process in place will help smooth out this transition with minimal disruption to your current staff.
We asked our YEC members to share how they improve efficiency with their on boarding process:
Pass On Knowledge
We have our current employees continually update manuals and on-boarding materials as they learn something new about their role so that their knowledge can be passed down to future employees. I try to ensure an overlap between the person leaving and the person coming on board so that the new employee can learn from them and tasks can be seamlessly shifted from one employee to the next.
– Diana Goodwin of Aqua Mobile
Systemize Everything
We’ve standardized the tools and equipment we use across the organization to make both on-boarding and day-to-day work more efficient. For developers, we use the same type of laptop, OS and software tools. When a new hire starts, we help them get up to speed within our codebase in an hour and can start contributing. We choose our tools carefully and invest time to ensure efficiency.
– Arian Radmand of Coach Up
Create New Employee Basecamp Group
We created a ‘New Employee Checklist’ template in Basecamp that we use for onboarding employes. This helps in two ways, it gets new hires familiar with Basecamp, our project management software, and we complete all the steps. Employees are able to see all required tasks (choosing benefits, installing software, etc.) and check each one off as it is completed.
– Brittany Hodak of ZinePak
Use Training Modules
By having an agenda and process in place you can set up custom training modules and put new employees on autopilot and they can learn via written instructions, short videos and practical application.
– Kelly Azevedo of ShesGotSystems
Create an Employee Wiki
Create a wiki of all information relevant to a new hire: key policies and procedures, how processes are currently managed, and team member roles. As employees develop new processes and institutional knowledge, they can add it to the wiki, making a living, breathing document that is relevant for all future hires.
Vik Tantry of FormSwift
Set Them Up with a Mentor
In addition to providing new hires with the appropriate materials to study, it’s a good idea to partner them with a team member who has plenty of experience in the same field. This allows the new employee to get up to speed and observe their mentor then begin to work autonomously.
– Shawn Porat of JudgementMarketplace
Make Sure Everything They Need Is in One Place
New team members use Basecamp so every resource they need is in one place. I also use LastPass to provide access to other programs. Our employees are extremely independent, and are assigned deadlines with the absolute expectation of meeting them. By assigning tasks and giving full access to everyone, business goals stay completely organized.
– Nicole Munoz of StartRankingNow
Create a Welcome Committee
Our company makes the effort to continually train mentors to be their go-to people. This person is always available to assist the trainee and make them feel like part of the team. They assume the responsibilities of a typical welcome committee, helping the trainee get accustomed to the company, its values, the office and their own daily tasks.
David Tomas of CyberClickNet
Provide a Strong Support System
We provide a strong support system for every new employee. First, we provide training that covers the company, leadership, benefits and procedures. Every employee is assigned a coach who explains the specifics of the job and assists with any issues the new hire faces. Our goal is to make new employees feel supported as they adjust to a new company and clients.
Alfredo Atanacio Cader of Uassist.me