Streamline the time between recruitment and the first day of employment

In times when different companies are fighting for the same workforce, it is more important than ever to set good routines for how to welcome new employees to the workplace. If the onboarding is bad and the expectations of the role are not incorporated, many people today are inclined to leave the new job for another employer. In order to get off to a really good and efficient start, the onboarding should already begin in the time between the contract being signed and the first working day  – this is called preboarding.

A good routine for what the time between employment and the first day of work should look like is therefore crucial. Here are my best tips for a good preboarding process!

Plan
The first and perhaps most important step to getting started with a good preboarding is to make a solid plan. What do you really want to achieve with the preboarding? What goals and measuring points can you set? What information do you need to collect from new employees in order for their start to be as good as possible? And what information do they need from you? By preparing the employee as well as possible, productivity will increase significantly during the first period at the new job. What steps are important for you to achieve it?

… But be realistic

Planning a preboarding process isn’t rocket science, but it can still feel difficult to get started if it’s something you’ve not dealt with before. Start simple, take a step at a time and adapt your process to what capacity you have right now. What is absolutely most important to you and what will facilitate the most for new employees? Start there – then you will still have come further than before. Then expand bit by bit.

Digitize
Making your preboarding process digitalwith the help of a candidate tool facilitates several aspects. On one hand, the employee can get access to material immediately when the recruitment process is completed and on the other hand, different types of preboarding can be created depending on the role that has been recruited. In addition, it ensures that your routine looks the same regardless of which manager is responsible – then it doesn’t matter that some managers are great at sending out emails and inviting you to coffee, whilst others are not. The digital tools that exist today give everyone equal conditions, while the preboarding process requires less time and costs from the organisation. 

Culture and values
To save time from the actual onboarding and give the employee a feel for the workplace, it is good to start introducing culture and values during preboarding. This can be donefor example, by sending out a link to a video that tells more about the company and its history and combining it with short digital trainings. Keep it short, simple and fun!

Welcome to the team
We all probably know the tingly feeling of having landed a new job but having to wait months for the first day. Curiosity and nervousness can be easily calmed with a few simple routines and to make the new employee feel really welcome, a tip is to introduce them to others in the team as early as possible. Don’t let all the social stuff wait until the first day at the office, why not invite them to a coffee or AW in the office? Encourage the new employee to connect with everyone in the team on LinkedIn and invite them to follow your Instagram account where they can take part in the culture and daily work. Using the channels you already have costs nothing and can make even new employees feel like part of the team long before their first day.

Evaluate
Once you have started with the preboarding, it is important to continuously evaluate to be able to remove and add parts. Askhe new employees to answer anonymous feedback forms and compare the answers with your set goals. By constantly fine-tuning the process, you ensure that it is the best for you and your employees.

All preboarding must be done with respect for the fact that the candidate does not yet work for you and still has a job to go to everyday therefore, they may not have the time to spare. But, if we can give new employees access to important information – culture and values, connect them to the team and their manager, this will help to kick-start their first days at the company.

/Marcus Johansson, Pre-sales Manager at Visma Talent Solutions