How to Build a Successful Onboarding Plan for New Hires

So, here you are. You have a new member joining your team soon, and you’re wondering how to make their first months with the company as successful as possible.

What you’re looking for is an onboarding roadmap able to support them and set them up for success. And if you can’t find a document aptly titled Onboarding plan for a new hire in your HR records, no worries. You’re in the right place to learn how to build your own. 

Now, add Plan Onboarding to your to-do list and let’s get cracking.

An onboarding plan for new employees is serious business

There used to be a time when you could show up for your first day of work, have your boss show you around for 10 minutes, and then you were ready to get started and be productive. But nowadays, most jobs involve way more complexity, so learning the ins and outs of a job can be quite a lengthy affair.

That’s why an onboarding project plan can be so important.

In terms of HR, onboarding is the process of familiarizing a new hire with the company. Onboarding begins when an offer is extended and accepted and ends around the time the person becomes a productive member of the team.

So, there goes the common belief that your onboarding training plan can last just a week. Unfortunately, that’s just induction, not the real deal. 

According to research, a good onboarding plan:

Improves engagement

91% of people who have been onboarded feel connected at work, while 89% label themselves as strongly integrated into the company’s culture.

Onboarded hires turn out to be 54% more engaged with their organization.

When people rate their onboarding as highly effective, they’re 30 times more likely to have high job satisfaction.

Increases performance

Onboarded employees are 50% more productive down the line.

Increases retention

If they underwent onboarding, 69% of new hires are likely to stay with the company for 3 years. What’s more, 58% do so for more than 3 years.

In addition, they’re also 48 times (!!!) more likely to feel highly supported by their organization.

The benefits of a well-implemented employee onboarding plan or executive onboarding plan are undeniable.

As you can tell, having an HR onboarding plan helps people acclimate to their new role, embody the company’s philosophies and culture, and take advantage of all the benefits at their disposal.

In the end, colleagues understand their responsibilities, know what resources are available to them, and truly feel like a part of the team. But before you can say you’re ready to begin your onboarding schedule for new hires, let’s take a look at the elements that can influence the outcome of your project. 

What you need to consider before developing your onboarding plan & training program

Before you start tinkering with your new hire onboarding project plan, here are four questions to address.

  • How do you want your new hire to feel? Start with the ending in mind.

How do you want your new hire to feel after the onboarding implementation plan has been successfully carried out?

I’m guessing your answer might be something along the lines of happy, engaged, competent, supported, and welcomed to the company. So, start with these attributes and see how you could transform them into a reality. 

Thinking of your onboarding process from when you first started with the company might also give you some clues about what to do differently this time around.

  • Do you have an easy system for handling all the paperwork? 

When you join an organization, the last thing you want is to be drowned in paperwork. And, yet, that's what happens most of the time. It's probably something you've also experienced in the past. 

However, now's your chance to end this vicious circle and switch to a system that seamlessly helps you onboard new hires without making their days revolve around reading paper documents and signing on the dotted line—more on that in a moment. 

  • How will you help your new hire understand their role in the company? 

Job descriptions are essential, but they don't paint the whole picture. If you want your new peer to truly understand their role, they need to see how their responsibilities translate into key results that propel the business forward.

Add clear expectations and role clarity in the mix, and you end up with a professional ready to successfully embark on their first project. 

  • What will be your feedback process?

When you take the time to reduce ambiguity around anything from responsibilities to policies and company culture, you're rewarded with improved job performance. However, this can't happen without a well-thought-out process.  

Set the stage and consider doing it without rigid and formal feedback sessions. Instead, encourage continuous feedback loops and nurture connections.  You can think of these questions as food for thought meant to improve the first days and months at your company.

Now, let's move forward and take a look at an onboarding plan example.

Your sample onboarding plan for new employees

If you ask an HR specialist about onboarding plans, you learn successful initiatives are all about the 5 Cs:

  • Connection
  • Culture
  • Confidence
  • Clarification
  • Compliance

Usually, they translate into three phases: admin, orientation, and enablement, each with its own set of specific actions. For your inspiration, here are some of them:

Onboarding Plan Example

This could be your sample onboarding plan for new employees. With a few adjustments, it could play the part of an onboarding plan for new managers.

In the end, everyone who's part of the team contributes to a successful onboarding plan. But you can surely make your life a lot easier when you enlist the help of nifty onboarding software, which leads us straight to Mirro.

With the right software, this could be your reality.

Let Mirro help you with all your onboarding woes

If you want to guide teammates and get them adjusted to the performance and social aspects of their position in no time, you need Mirro on your side.

Mirro is a powerful performance management platform that can take all onboarding headaches and turn them into success stories. And whether you're remote and operating with a virtual onboarding plan or planning to welcome people who live in the office, Mirro is here for you.

If you decide to start using Mirro, you can help your new team members:

  • Cut down on admin time and quickly learn the ropes with our HR suite.
  • Understand who's who in the company and how teams work.
  • Set up their OKRs and deliver on their projects.
  • Step into a culture of continuous feedback
  • Enjoy regular 1:1s with peers and managers.
  • Get appreciation for jobs well done.
  • See how they fit into the big picture and influence the company's future.

It's time to let Mirro make your onboardings friction-free.

Sign up for a demo and discover all the benefits today! Your future hires will thank you for it.

If you want to guide teammates and get them adjusted to the performance and social aspects of their position in no time, you need Mirro on your side.

Mirro is a powerful performance management platform that can take all onboarding headaches and turn them into success stories. And whether you're remote and operating with a virtual onboarding plan or planning to welcome people who live in the office, Mirro is here for you.

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