Social Tools to Improve Employee Onboarding

The first few days and weeks at a new job are critical for each new hire. This experience can leave a lasting one that either gives the employee the encouragement to be productive or the disappointment to become just another cog in the wheel. The Aberdeen Group released the Onboarding Benchmark Report which advised that 90 percent of all employees make their decision to either stay or leave a job during their first 6 months of employment. That means, the onboarding experience is your first chance to impress employees enough to stick around.

How well you manage your new hire onboarding processes depends on the methods and resources your HR team uses. Automating these processes can be helpful, especially if you are recruiting on an ongoing basis. Since so much of the onboarding experience is tied to the social culture of the workplace, one of the many possible ways you can create a positive employee onboarding experience is through the use of social tools. Let’s learn more.

Making the Workplace More Social

There are several ways that the HR and recruitment team can provide an environment where social connectivity tools are encouraged. First, the recruiter can reach out to potential candidates by way of social networks, like Facebook and LinkedIn, which helps the candidate to feel a connection to someone at the company. This same person can facilitate any applications, telephone screening, and on-site visits where this becomes the personal point of contact for a future employee.

Once a candidate has accepted a position, there’s likely to be several weeks while they are getting adjusted to living in a new city or learning about the culture before their first day. The recruiter can provide access to a wide range of resources using social tools. Consider that the new hire will appreciate being introduced to others on the team, having information about the local community, and advice on the best places to shop, dine out, and even social hotspots to make this a smoother transition.

On the employee’s first day, make this as social of an experience as possible. Introduce the new hire to key personnel and give them access to the resources they’ll need to be successful. This can include being set up on the company’s intranet and email systems, as well as corporate instant messaging. Have the new hire’s team mates send invitations to connect on the IM platform, and take the new hire out to lunch using a social app to send out a reminder.

New hires are generally eager to get started on their tasks, yet they are nervous about this prospect. Ease their mind with frequent social synching using company email, in person meetings, and access to an internal help community. In fact, you should encourage all employees to share resources and tips for doing the job more effectively using a secure community environment, where employees can set up personal profiles and connect.

Managing New Hire Tasks with Social Tools

As for the paperwork and training that goes along with onboarding, social tools can be a great way to streamline things. Set up a web-based document system that allows employees to complete and upload their new hire paperwork. Use this same portal as a central resource with a downloadable employee handbook, access to benefit enrollment, training materials, and general company information.

You’ll find that using social tools can be a very helpful aspect of managing all your employee onboarding activities. Choose the resources that provide the most value to your company and your new staff.

Enjoy a previous post on this topic from the team at Advance Staffing Solutions:

It is Time to Fully Embrace Social Media for Your Business | This is no Time to be Shy

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