11 Tips For Creating An Effective Onboarding Checklist For New Hires

Bringing new talent into your company is an exciting time, but effective onboarding has the power to make or break their success. Whether you’re integrating a single engineer or onboarding multiple new hires, the process can be intricate, especially in the engineering and manufacturing industries where you may have multiple sites to consider as well as numerous health and safety considerations. To help you, we’ve put together a brief guide to creating an onboarding checklist that ensures your new hires feel welcomed and ready to contribute from day one.

Understanding Onboarding

What is Onboarding?

Onboarding is the process where HR introduces new employees to their roles, the company, its mission, and policies. This includes completing paperwork, such as job descriptions, salary agreements, benefits documentation, and orientation materials. New hires also get a chance to meet colleagues and management, helping them integrate into the company culture.

Why is Onboarding Important?

Onboarding helps new hires understand their responsibilities, boosting engagement and reducing turnover. Effective onboarding clarifies job expectations and integrates new employees into the company’s goals and culture, setting them up for success.

Creating an Onboarding Checklist

An onboarding checklist keeps the process organised, ensuring no detail is overlooked. Here are some tips to help you create an onboarding checklist that will not only make your life easier but also set your new hire up with the best chances of success.

• Send a Warm Welcome Email: Kick off the onboarding process with a personalised welcome email. Include details such as where to report on their first day, dress code, parking information, and their supervisor’s name. This friendly touch helps set a positive tone and provides clarity.
• Organise Paperwork Efficiently: Streamline the paperwork process by creating digital and physical folders for each position. Include all necessary documents, such as financial forms, job agreements, the employee handbook, company directory, and welcome letters. Consider using digital solutions like Adobe and DocuSign to keep everything organised and easily accessible.
• Provide Clear Contact Information: New hires might feel overwhelmed or have questions. Ensure they know who to contact by including clear contact information for HR and relevant departments in emails and onboarding packets. This makes it easy for them to get help when needed.
• Complete All New Hire Forms and Send Them to HR: While paperwork isn’t exciting, it’s a necessary part of onboarding. Ideally, you’d ask new hires to fill out their new hire forms early on in the process so they can get them out of the way. Once they do, send them to your HR department.
• Set Up Hardware and Software Access: Chances are your new hires will need access to certain hardware and software to perform their jobs successfully. It’s your responsibility to make sure new employees are all set up to use all relevant programmes and equipment. Be sure to encourage security best practices early on such as two-factor authentication, strong passwords, and regularly changing passwords. Also, if you have any complicated or proprietary software, create training documents or programmes to teach new hires how to use it.
• Prepare for a Site Tour: A site tour is one of the best ways to reduce unknowns and help your employees get used to your workplace. Familiarising them with the layout and facilities ensures they know where to find everything they need.
• Create Your Culture Plan: Socialisation is essential as it can help new employees feel welcome and excited about working at your company. Introduce them to their new team as well as senior leaders. If possible, take them out for a welcome lunch or dinner. In the event lunch or dinner isn’t in your budget, get creative and think of alternative options such as snacks, drinks, and icebreaker games. It provides an opportunity for them to meet colleagues in a relaxed setting. Be sure to plan this in advance to ensure good participation and a positive start for your new team members.
• Consider Questions You Might Be Asked: New hires are going to have a lot of questions. After all, they’re getting used to a new workplace, culture, colleagues, and tasks. Put yourself in their shoes and think about some of the questions they may have. Then, consider creating a comprehensive FAQ document that answers them. Not only will an FAQ document provide them with a great reference, it’ll also reassure them that their questions are valid and other people have been in their position before.
• Set Initial Goals and Check-In Times: Help new hires get oriented by setting a few small goals to complete within their first 30, 60, or 90 days. This could include meeting team members or finishing training. Schedule regular check-ins to monitor their progress and address any concerns.
• Add Those Personal Touches: It’s often the little things that make a big difference in creating a great first impression. Unique and personal touches can set employers apart and make new hires feel genuinely welcomed. Consider creating welcome kits with company-branded items, a handwritten note, and maybe even some treats. This simple gesture can make new employees feel valued and excited to join the team.
• Tailor Onboarding to the Role: Recognise that different roles have varying onboarding needs. An engineer might require more extensive training than an HR employee. Tailor your onboarding checklist to reflect these differences, ensuring each new hire has the time and resources they need.

Final Thoughts

Creating a detailed onboarding checklist tailored to the engineering and manufacturing industry can significantly improve the new hire experience. By focusing on organisation, communication, and a personal touch, you can help your new employees feel welcomed and prepared to contribute.

If you need assistance with your employee attraction and retention strategies, feel free to get in touch. We’re here to help you build a successful team!