Make onboarding a success story

What is onboarding?

Onboarding is the process of introducing new employees to their new work environment, colleagues, company culture and daily working methods. In addition to familiarizing yourself with tasks and systems, it's also about creating a sense of belonging and meeting the expectations you have outlined as an employer. It is a process that can take months.

Three tips

Missing opportunities during onboarding can cost your organization dearly. How do you ensure that the first week of work is the start of a successful collaboration? Marlous, senior communication advisor at effect group*, is working on various labour market communication campaigns and onboarding processes and shares three tips.

1. Be welcome
   The first day of work is often exciting, full of new impressions and unfamiliar faces. It is a key moment in onboarding. Make sure everything is well prepared: from a working laptop and access to systems, to a personal welcome message. Think of a handwritten card or a short video introducing the team. Little effort, big effect—it sets the tone for a warm welcome and shows that you pay attention to the details that matter. And capture someone literally and figuratively! There's nothing more difficult than walking in the door on your first day of work and having no idea who and where to go to. Before you know it, you'll feel like that “bridge pager” again.
   
   But the welcome feeling actually starts before the first day of work. Send a message a few days in advance with practical information about the first day: what's expected, what time someone should arrive and who they'll meet. Or a short video of a number of colleagues explaining some practical things. This helps to lower the tension and gives a warm welcome even before the new colleague officially starts.

2. Let your employer brand come to life
   ‍Onboarding is the ideal time to put your employer brand into practice. In this phase, new employees discover whether the values and culture you express really match their expectations. This is the time when they form their own story about your organization—the story they tell friends and family. To make sure this story is true, it's important to be transparent and consistent from day one.
   
   Make sure what you promise matches what you show. After all, new employees need to know that they are where they should be. After the first week of work, no one wants to wonder if they accidentally walked into the wrong organization.
   
   Start with small but meaningful actions. For example, let new employees participate in team meetings or organize introductory sessions or short coffee moments with supervisors/colleagues that highlight the company culture. This way, in addition to a practical introduction, you can also make onboarding a positive experience that the Employee Experience fortified.

3. A customized trip
   Now that hybrid and remote working are and remain increasingly common, it's smart to adapt onboarding to the individual needs of your employees. This goes beyond basic instructions and includes a flexible, personal approach that supports both learning and organizational integration.
   
   For example, developing personalized learning modules that match the experience level and position of the new employee. By using digital platforms, you can offer onboarding journeys that vary in intensity and focus, from hands-on encounters with tools to in-depth sessions about company culture and strategic goals.
   
   In addition, using a mentor or buddy is a powerful way to support new employees. This personal guidance helps with practical matters, and also offers a counselor for questions and feedback. By creating regular feedback moments within the first months, you can quickly address any bottlenecks and make improvements. And you'll build a culture where employees experience that their opinion matters from day one.

What is Employee Experience?

Employee experience is the experience of a (potential) employee in all contacts with the organization and how this matches his or her expectations. Activities that give an employee a positive experience contribute to a good Employee Experience (source: Employee Experience, Heleen Mes and Gea Peper).

Must-have
Investing in onboarding pays off

Onboarding is an investment in the future of your organization. It is not nice-to-have, but a must-have. It's about customization, personal attention and, above all, listening to the needs of your new employees. Focus on strong onboarding and thus create a work environment where employees want to start and stay.

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