How to create an effective onboarding workflow

Everyone has started a new job at some point; those first few days and weeks can be challenging. You may be unsure where to find necessary information, who to contact with questions, and how to contribute. A detailed onboarding process can make those early days successful and welcoming, offering the following benefits:

Improved employee retention: Planning for employee success reduces new hire anxiety. When new hires see the steps they will go through, can track their progress, and understand when and how they’ll contribute, they feel supported long after integrating into the team.

• Faster productivity: When new employees can visualize the process from their first day to the day they fully integrate, it empowers them to add value earlier. Most new employees want to be fully functioning team members quickly. An effective onboarding process and flowchart help them set the pace. 
• Better cultural integration: The onboarding process helps new employees assimilate to the cultural aspects of the company, such as dress codes, communication styles, and general expectations. While you hope every new employee is a good hire, the onboarding process helps identify those who may be struggling. Red flags include inappropriate language, failing to complete onboarding tasks or other issues. 

Before the new employee’s start date, necessary tasks include sending a welcome packet, setting up hardware, ensuring network access, and signing necessary documentation. This stage encompasses everything the employee needs to begin work on day one.

The first day is the employee’s initial impression of your company. Have a plan for what will happen, including team introductions, an office tour, and an overview of the company’s mission and values. Include what employees can expect during their first week, such as scheduled training, check-in points, and team meetings.

Your onboarding workflows should account for both formal and informal learning opportunities. Provide a clear overview of the training and development in which new employees will participate. 

For example, all new employees may start with high-level product training to understand what the company produces, for whom, and why. New hires in accounting may then move on to role-based training in accounting processes. In contrast, employees in product development may participate in user acceptance testing to deepen their knowledge.

Ongoing integration defines the steps necessary to support employees beyond the initial onboarding period, including check-in points, mentorships, and additional professional development. 

For instance, if you hire a product designer, there may be a company-specific style and design system to master. This may include partnering with an established designer to meet company standards as the employee begins producing work. Include employee recognition programs and other incentives during this stage to help shape new employees’ experience with your company.

Follow up with new employees to ensure they understand their role, the company culture, and how the company measures performance. This phase can include one-on-one meetings, surveys, and performance reviews. Gathering feedback is also an opportunity to improve your onboarding process and workflow. Integrate these outcomes with employee experience platforms for ongoing management.

The onboarding workflow outlines the steps to evaluate new employee progress and provide a roadmap for successful integration.  Use the following process to create an onboarding workflow.

Clearly state what you want to achieve with your onboarding process. Examples include teaching new employees about compliance and regulatory measures or participating in a collaborative culture. Be sure your objectives are measurable and relate directly to employee performance.

Create a structured plan outlining the onboarding stages in a timeline. Within the stages, define the steps or objectives to complete, assign responsibility to stakeholders, and collect necessary materials. For example, if the training stage includes regulatory compliance, assign a knowledgeable person to oversee the task and ensure documentation is ready.

Coordinate with relevant teams to ensure the onboarding process runs smoothly. An IT service management (ITSM) platform like Jira Service Management can help manage necessary hardware, software, and network access, aiding in efficient process tracking. HR automation best practices also provide consistent, repeatable implementation of your workflow.

Creating an efficient onboarding process with role-based workflows improves employee retention long after new hires become productive members of your team. An employee onboarding workflow template offers a clear outline of expectations, a structured sequence and timeline, and success metrics, all critical for engaging new employees and empowering them to succeed.

Jira Service Management can streamline onboarding with templates, best practices, workflow automation, task tracking, and continuous improvement. It integrates with other HR tools for employee experience management, performance management, and more.