Get your new hire started with these pre-boarding strategies

Within the first week of beginning a job, it has been estimated that 33% of new employees make the decision whether to stay or leave. It is important to make your new hire feel welcome, and give them a sense of clarity about what to expect in the work environment. The first week of employment is also an ideal time to get their performance on-point, to ensure improved efficiency.

It is always important to begin the process early with employee pre-boarding, getting them familiar with the work environment and work processes.

Employee pre-boarding refers to the first step of employment, just before your new hire enters your office. This assists them in learning about the company and is important for helping them feel welcome, ensuring quality performance. It is vital to get your pre-boarding learning strategy mapped out and a great way to do this is with a digital learning platform. This includes having important learning materials ready for your new hire once they have accepted the position.
Here, we investigate some effective eLearning strategies for your new hire.

Day One in the Office

The first day at work is usually both nerve-wrecking and exciting. The first day on the job is usually made up of meeting colleagues, reading, and filling out documents. Many businesses still want employees to figure things out on their own, however, it is important to assist your employee through the process. They understand what the job entails but they need to feel as if they are not alone in the process – help them gear up!
Get your new employees geared up by providing them curated pre-boarding materials. You can send these to them a week before they begin the job via email. This will make them feel more confident when entering the workplace, and will help build momentum in their work performance.
So, what content should make up your digital package? You can include a variety of materials, from in-house stories to your corporate profile. You can also include a variety of activities for them to complete.

What to include in your digital package:

Tips for making employee pre-boarding successful

Tone of content

Go with a friendly tone instead of a formal tone, this will make your new hire feel more comfortable with the content provided.

People focused

Connect with your new hire through conversation and paint a human picture of your company – this makes things less intimidating. Share real stories and bios from the new hires team. This will make your employee feel more comfortable when meeting their team on day one.

Personalisation is key

Always keep your pre-boarding content personalised. Don’t just provide your new hire with obviously generic content. Make use of targeted content that will work for your new hire.

Provide clarity

Assist your new hire in accelerating toward the ideal performance level by setting certain expectation around their roles. Be clear about what you expect from them on day one and during their first week. This gives them time to prepare and understand business processes. You can also be part of the process by allowing them to ask questions or comment on the material before week one.

In Summary

Pre-boarding is important if you want your new hire to start their new job with a bang!

Masterskill: Education through Innovation

Masterskill offers courses to help prepare you for your new job:

• Your First Thirty Days: Building a Professional Image in a New Job (Revised Edition) CCT-090-S
• New Employee Orientation: Bringing People On Board Successfully (1st Edition) CCT-067-S