Employee integration: the secrets of successful onboarding

Integrating a new employee into the team is one of the key challenges of human resources.

Did you think the recruitment process was over once the employment contract had been signed? Wrong! 🧐

In fact, employee integration is an essential stage in the HR process. And it's best not to neglect it, at the risk of seeing your latest recruits jump ship!

To help you with this crucial step, here's a guide to the best practices to adopt for a successful employee induction.

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Let's review the basics of employee induction

The principle of onboarding

Employee integration, also known as onboarding, is the final phase in the recruitment process.

Often overlooked or botched, this stage is crucial to help the new employee become familiar with the position, the team, the manager and the corporate culture. Without it, the effort expended during the recruitment phase can be wiped out by the new recruit's hasty departure. ☝️

How does it work? Onboarding consists in welcoming the new employee in order to create a bond and build loyalty.

At first glance, it may seem simple, but employee induction involves several distinct stages:

• pre-boarding, which, as the name suggests, is the period preceding the employee's first steps in the company, after confirmation of recruitment,
• Induction days, which correspond to the new employee's induction phase,
• follow-up during the integration period, which includes employee training.

💡A good induction is the logical continuation of a successful candidate experience.

What is the right length of an employee induction period?

As you can see, employee induction is much more than a simple welcome, so you need to consider a longer period than just one week.

👉 It is generally accepted that an effective induction period should not be less than one month.

This timeframe allows new recruits to familiarize themselves with their role and the company environment, while establishing social connections.

For a complete and effective onboarding, it is recommended to start the integration process before the new employee arrives at the company, and then to continue it well beyond the probation period.

For example, onboarding can last up to six months, and even extend as far as the first annual appraisal interview!

This may seem a long time to some, but it ensures that new employees feel supported and committed throughout their transition to the company.

The importance of onboarding in 4 points

Onboarding is not just a trendy managerial trend that only concerns innovative structures and start-ups. This employee integration process is at the heart of HR priorities.

Here's a closer look at what's at stake. 🔎

#1 Improved retention rates

Among the positive impacts of a good integration is an improvement in the employee retention rate.

Indeed, by feeling welcomed and valued from the outset, new employees are more inclined to make a long-term commitment.

This reduces the risk of turnover and turnover - with early resignation - and the costs associated with recruitment.

💡 According to the recruitment firm Deloitte, a bad recruitment would cost an average of 50,000 euros (or even much more for certain managerial or strategic functions). Now you understand the importance of a successful employee integration.

Cabinet Deloitte à l’occasion de l’évènement Future of HR

#2 Increased productivity

Numerous studies prove it: a happy employee is a successful employee.

But integrating new employees is not just about keeping them with the company. This is where HR departments come into play when it comes to onboarding: improving employee productivity.

👉 In fact, we've seen that a structured onboarding process boosts an employee's productivity.

By taking the time to properly integrate the new employee into your company, you can reach the famous employee break-even point more quickly. In other words, the point at which the returns they bring outweigh the costs of hiring them.

#3 Strengthening commitment

A structured onboarding process is also an opportunity to create strong commitment right from the start.

Onboarding should not be seen as a cost, but as an investment.

#4 Creating a positive working environment

A well-prepared onboarding process helps employees to feel at home in the company, fostering a positive climate and an environment conducive to well-being at work!

It also helps to enhance your employer brand and make your company more attractive. A real competitive advantage that can help you stand out in the war for talent! ⚔️

How do you integrate an employee? Best practices in 5 steps

Stage one: preparation

Pre-boarding is the phase following the candidate's signature and acceptance of the job offer.

This period lasts until the candidate officially joins the company. But it's at this point that the candidate runs the risk of being chased away by another company...

To avoid being ghosted, it's essential to maintain a link with the employee until he or she takes up the job.

How can you do this? 🧐 By communicating!

Remain available to the candidate and don't hesitate to share information by e-mail or SMS. You can even invite the new recruit to take part in certain company events. It's an opportunity to introduce yourself and talk with future colleagues.

You can also take advantage of the opportunity to pass on information about the onboarding process, so that the candidate can get to grips with your organization as smoothly as possible.

In this way, you maximize your chances of securing your recruitment. A candidate who already has one foot in the company is less likely to let you down.

💡The phenomenon of ghosting refers to the disappearance of a candidate during the recruitment process, never to be heard from again. A practice that has become widespread in recent years.

Stage two: the first-day welcome

That's it, the employee's official arrival at the company is here!

To ensure the best possible welcome, the induction day should be organized around four fundamental points:

• a tour of the site and premises,
• initial discussions with the manager,
• meeting the employees,
• handover of equipment and administrative documents.

This onboarding stage is crucial!

👉 The first day is often a source of stress and many questions. It's all about accompanying the employee into his or her new professional environment and putting him or her at ease as they take up their new post.

At the end of the day, the new recruit should have a positive view of your company, but also be able to hit the ground running.

For example, you can organize a lunch or provide a welcome pack to ease the employee's integration.

Step three: training and development

Depending on the organization and the job, it may be advisable to set up a training course on arrival.

This will introduce the organizational process, tools and methods. It's a phase that will help him/her understand your company's missions and expectations.

Step four: follow-up and feedback

Once the first few days have passed, it's not uncommon to find that many HR staff put an end to onboarding.

But your job doesn't stop there!

In practice, you can ask for feedback or organize regular follow-up with the new employee, at variable rates depending on the profile.

By giving your new employee the opportunity to express his or her views after the first week, you can measure how well he or she has integrated into the team.

In this respect, an astonishment report is a good way of quickly identifying any difficulties and making adjustments where necessary.

💡 According to a study by Cadremploi, nearly 7 out of 10 managers resign within 6 months of being hired.

Cadremploi

Final step: evaluating employee integration

Finally, after the first few months, you can set up a more comprehensive evaluation.

This is an opportunity to set the record straight, on both sides, and to take stock of the trial period.

Of course, this phase does not necessarily mean the end of the employee's integration process. ☝️

It can be used to confirm the hiring, but also to adapt certain processes and, why not, improve the onboarding strategy.

Example of an employee induction process

In practical terms, here's an example of an employee onboarding process based on best practices and essential steps:

• Anticipate the arrival of the new recruit by preparing him or her, in particular by adapting access to the necessary tools.
• Prepare the team for the arrival of a new member, following the departure of an employee, for example.
• Welcome the newcomer.
• Introduce him or her to key employees and familiarize him or her with the company's values and culture, with a welcome booklet for example.
• Set up a training program for new employees so that they can get up to speed quickly.
• Schedule regular check-ups with the HR department to ensure that the candidate's integration is going well and to gather his or her first impressions.
• Assign a mentor or sponsor to guide the new employee through the first few weeks and provide personalized support.

Successful employee integration with the right tools

No company can do without an employee induction process.

However, every ship is different, and to optimize onboarding, it makes sense to rely on ATS, or Applicant Tracking System, or other more comprehensive HR software. ☝️

The best onboarding programs have the advantage of resembling the company and adapting to new recruits.

The result is a smoother, more personalized induction process.

You can even adapt it to remote onboarding in the context of hybrid work involving telecommuting.

⚒️ This is the case with GIRH Remote, for example. Whether you're recruiting in France or abroad, this service acts as an EOR, assisting you with all HR procedures in over 60 countries.

With a 5-step onboarding process, you can offer your new recruits fast, secure and compliant onboarding:

• Simple registration of the new employee;
• A self-registration system for employees to add their administrative details and import the required supporting documents;
• Control of visas and work permits for recruitment abroad;
• Sending the employment contract for official signature;
• Automatic activation of status with enrolment in payroll and benefits programs.

Managers and HR have full and clear visibility of the entire process, and employees receive automatic alerts of action to be taken and progress on integration.

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Employee induction: it's up to you

The employee induction process is an integral part of a company's HR practices.

In the age of the Great Resignation and conscious quitting, HR departments have clearly understood that the employee experience is not an option.

However, before they can convince future employees to stay, they still have to make them want to come on board!