The Hidden Tasks in Onboarding
Human Resources is admittedly not the sexiest of departments. But, in our minds it may be the job with the most small tasks that add up to the most important outcome: hiring and training of excellent talent. Businesses, even tiniest ones, are nothing without the people that run them.
Onboarding, also known as the process of hiring and training employees, is a relatively new term to describe the time period between the acceptance of an offer letter and when a hire is effectively and comfortably immersed in their role, usually a few weeks to a few months.
We are currently working on a tracking solution for a client who feels like the process of adding people to their team - and removing them when they move on - is tedious and full of potential pitfalls. Some examples of those pitfalls are: erroneous email address set-up, delays in getting I-9s filled out, and not checking in regularly with new hires during the first few weeks to see how forms and sign-ins are going.
These struggles are not unique to this client. Ever curious, Waxwing did an inventory of just how many tasks were required to simply get an employee up and running in a new job. It was a fifty-item to-do list! For one new employee, or even more commonly, for an owner/operator who wears many hats, to track and complete new hire details seems like a mini nightmare (or just a tedious and error-prone couple of weeks at least).
One of the ways to help this process go smoothly is to track it, of course. Nothing fancy - it can be a checklist on a piece of paper that you photocopy for each new Full Time, Part-Time, Seasonal, or Contract hire. Make sure there is a place at the bottom to add the steps to off-board them as well. Think about what you need to “un-do” when an employee leaves. First impressions, as well as last impressions, count in small businesses and, especially, in small communities.
A sample checklist for a new employee may include:
☑Receive signed offer letter
☑Agree on start date & what to bring on the first day
☑Announce to colleagues re: the new hire
☑Order/procure any materials (hardware, software licenses, business cards)
☑Have an I-9 ready for them on their first day
☑Add them to your payroll system and set expectations about timing of first paycheck
☑Provide all other paperwork which may include: health insurance info, mileage & expense tracking sheets, timesheet logs, and/or 401-k or FSA-related forms if applicable
☑Introduce your new employee to a resource or point-person to help with questions
☑Procure a headshot and/or bio to add them to your website or do a shoutout on social media
☑Set a weekly check-in for the first few weeks to ensure the onboarding tasks are completed as quickly as possible
Optimally, your new hire will spend their time and energy on the work itself, not worrying about unfinished tasks related to HR. The more organized and seamless you can make the HR process, the quicker your new hire can get down to the “brass tacks,” and start earning you money.
