First Impressions Last – Establishing a world class Onboarding & Induction Process

Our Client had completed a comprehensive employee engagement survey, and one significant area for improvement identified was the onboarding & induction process. The levels of satisfaction with the process as indicated by the cohort of new and recent joiners was very low. We were brought in as HR Consultants to address the issue and refine the onboarding and induction process to start people off on the right note.

Based on the survey satisfaction levels, we championed a further review to identify the root cause of the dissatisfaction. Several focus-group discussions with recent recruits helped identify the challenge as well as set stakeholder expectations. We worked with the Human Resources team to complete a detailed process map of the onboarding and induction process and identify areas for improvement based on best-in-class global practices. A comprehensive induction plan was chalked out to cover general information about the company, specific induction to cover key policy areas including health & safety, HR, IT, quality, Finance & accounts etc., and department and role related induction & training. The revised process was detailed including documentation, formats, and actions to be taken and individuals responsible. Even the detailed communication protocols, information links etc. directed at employees joining the company from international locations were identified and collated for the client HR team to use for all future mobilisations. The resulting process was designed to deliver service excellence.

The level of detail provided in the revised induction and onboarding process simplified the process for those managing various aspects, while demonstrating a significantly high level of employee care and professionalism. The feedback from recruits going through the revised process included comments indicating that this was the best process they had experienced in their career to date. The perception of the HR team was transformed to reflect as one truly invested in supporting employees. The documentation and templates which were easy to use also saved a significant amount of time and energy for the recruitment and talent acquisition team, allowing them to focus instead on their core recruitment and executive search activities. The information available to the team from the documentation also significantly enhanced the ability to provide information to prospective international candidates, raising the profile of the company as employers of choice.