How to Onboard a New Employee

Starting a new job is always a little daunting, however, without the right techniques, taking on new employees can be also a challenge for business owners, big or small. Making sure your new hires feel comfortable and welcomed from their first day on the job is crucial to ensuring their long-term success at your company as well as upholding an employee based ethos.

Our retail guide on how to onboard a new employee is designed to help you hit the ground running when it comes to onboarding and covers everything from what onboarding is, to how long it takes.

What is employee onboarding?

The employee onboarding process focuses on fully integrating a new employee into your company. It involves orienting them to their new role, as well as providing them with the tools, resources and knowledge they need to be successful in their position.

While onboarding can take many different forms, its core purpose is to help new hires feel fully comfortable and confident in their new role.

How long does it take to onboard a new employee?

The length of time it takes to onboard a new employee can vary depending on the size and complexity of your business. While it does typically take between two weeks and one month to fully onboard a new hire, most experts agree that it takes between two and six months for a new hire to be fully integrated into your company.

While you can carry out the onboarding process independently, there is also a wide range of helpful tools available, such as ‘Workforce’, which can drive down the time spent organising your onboarding program and process.

Workforce provides a streamlined and efficient way to manage the entire process and can be integrated easily with your Epos Now point of sale system to provide the best onboarding experience for new starters.

What are some common onboarding obstacles?

With a range of personalities, strengths and at play,  even if all your team members are on board, not having a structured onboarding process in place can present its challenges, some of the most common include:

Ensuring all new hires are given the same level of support

When you have multiple new employees starting at the same time, it can be difficult to ensure that each person receives the same level of support. This is where tools like Workforce can help, by sending automatic reminders and notifications to managers, so no one slips through the cracks.

A lack of personal communication between the new hire and their manager

This can often lead to confusion about expectations and can make the new employee feel isolated and make the overall onboarding process feel disjointed.

A lack of clarity and support around what the new hire should be doing on a day-to-day basis.

Poor onboarding in terms of daily tasks can be frustrating for both the new hire and their manager and can lead to a feeling of being either overwhelmed or underutilised.

Issues surrounding responsibilities.

Some new hires may feel like they are not being given enough responsibility, or that their work is not challenging enough. This can often be due to a lack of trust from their manager and can lead to disengagement and a feeling of being undervalued.

If you're experiencing any of these obstacles, there are a few things you can do to overcome them. Regular check-ins with your new hire,  either daily or weekly, is a great way to ensure that they are on track and understand what is expected of them.

Taking the time to implement any supportive adjustments new hires might need can also make them valued while offering the chance to take on new challenges or more advanced responsibilities, which can provide new employees with a sense of contribution to the company, and an opportunity to prove themselves without pressure.

What are the benefits of onboarding new employees?

While it can come with its challenges, there are also a number of great benefits to onboarding new hires.

Effective onboarding can boost business and optimise areas like productivity and job satisfaction; but how exactly does onboarding improve employee performance and workforce retention?

Improve employee performance

by providing new hires with the accurate tools, knowledge and resources they need to be successful in their role, you can set them up for success from day one. This in turn can lead to improved performance and greater productivity.

Enhance workplace retention

A well-executed onboarding process can help new hires feel more engaged, confident and integrated into their role, which ultimately increases job satisfaction and motivation as a result. This in turn can also lead to a major reduction in staff turnover, and cut business costs in the long run.

Boost company morale

When new hires feel like they are being supported and integrated into the company, it can have a positive impact on the overall morale of your workplace- something which is especially important in times of change or uncertainty.

What is the average cost of onboarding a new employee?

While it can vary depending on the size of the company and the industry, studies have shown the average cost for onboarding a new hire comes in at USD $4,425 (£3,582) [1]. The majority of this cost is usually made up of training expenses,  but there are also other associated costs, such as the costs of background checks and drug tests.

While the average cost of onboarding a new employee may seem high,  it's important to remember that the benefits of onboarding far outweigh its cost- making it an important investment for any business.

How do you onboard a new employee?

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to onboarding,  there are a few key steps that all businesses should take to ensure that their new hires feel supported and prepared for their role:

Introduce the new hire to their team

This is a great way to help them feel comfortable and start to build relationships with their colleagues.

Explain the company culture and values

This will help new hires understand what is important to the company and what is expected of them.

Give a tour

This will help new hires familiarise themselves with their surroundings and feel comfortable navigating their work environment.

Provide training on company policies and procedures

This is essential to ensure that new hires understand their role and how to carry out their duties effectively.

Assign a mentor

This is a great way to provide personalised support and guidance to new hires as they settle into their role, without compromising your time

Set expectations, goals and objectives

This will help new hires understand what is expected of them and give them something to work towards.

Set up their computer and email account

This will help new hires be productive from their first day in the office, and make them immediately feel like part of the team.

Provide a company handbook

While most companies do have a handbook available online, a physical manual is an easily accessible way of providing new hires with all the information they need in one place.

Get your business on board with a powerful POS system

Hiring and integration admin doesn’t have to give you angst. With Epos Now’s state-of-the-art POS system, you can integrate with over 100+ business apps to automate your business processes and optimise efficiency. Our award-winning point of sale software lets integrate with WorkForce to handle all your admin needs. 

Automate lengthy administrative processes, your clerical tasks can be compiled and certified with a single click, allowing you to streamline your rota and payroll processes with no problem.

The right rotas can keep your employees enthusiastic, and with our integrated Epos Now systems, whether you own a retail or hospitality business, you can take full advantage of staff admin automation and more: 

• Simplify employee management with staff sales reports, automated scheduling and online payroll. 
• Make CRM a breeze with scheduled communications and loyalty programmes.
• Integrate with the business automation apps that are right for your business.