Onboarding
Onboarding (from the American-English onboarding , abbreviated from taking on board , literally for “ taking on board ”) is a term from human resource management . It describes the hiring (or the recruitment of personnel ) and the acceptance of new employees by a company and above all all measures that promote integration . The opposite is offboarding .
Background and goal
A shortage of skilled workers is cited as the reason for the ever increasing relevance of onboarding processes , on the other hand the relatively high direct and indirect costs that the hiring of a new employee causes. Also not to be underestimated is the fact that the first impression of the company and its culture determines the motivation , commitment and degree of initiative of new employees. However, the induction process is not one-sided, because the applicants also quickly grasp their opportunities in the company, perform optimally or make more or less serious mistakes.
It is therefore essential to professionalise systematic induction and social integration. In order to develop this instrument in a targeted manner, it makes sense to consider the various phases of an onboarding process. From a psychological point of view, this process is divided into four phases, which in turn run parallel to the learning curve of the new employee. These phases are:
- expectations
- enthusiasm
- Disillusionment / reality shock
- Integration / onboarding
The learning curve corresponds to this:
- ignorance
- first understanding
- Perceiving the complexity of ignorance
- Elaboration / familiarization
The aim of the onboarding process should be to provide the employee with targeted support in the individual phases. First positive experiences provide the emotional support to have the opportunity to deal with first disappointments. A first step for this can be successful identification with the corporate culture. In the further steps, the processes must then be explained and the expectations of the superiors disclosed. Furthermore, the goals that the company pursues with the employment of the employee must be conveyed and the integration into the social fabric of the company supported.
Design options for the onboarding process
The first steps can be taken before the contract is signed: Optimal personnel selection is just as important as early contact with the employee and the preparation of the workplace and work equipment, such as PC, ID cards, customer and team information and so on.
On the first day of work, time with the manager is just as important as that with colleagues and employees. It is helpful to have a schedule that is communicated to the employee in advance in order to make the first few weeks transparent for the "newcomer" and to provide appropriate orientation.
In the first few weeks, the presence of the manager and discussions are decisive in order to integrate the employee into the company in the long term. The induction plan is the official framework of the process and thus at the same time the first building block of consistent personnel development. An introductory event should follow after the first 2 months at the latest. The aim of this is to convey general information about the company and to make the corporate culture tangible. In addition, there is the opportunity for all new employees to build up a cross-departmental network to support each other and provide security.
Over the entire period, the process should be characterized by a high willingness to communicate on the part of management and the team, and regular feedback . Monitoring through questionnaires and additional discussions with the HR department are also useful . The aim of this feedback is to make a decision for both sides about staying with the company and to assess the process so far. That means, which parts of the induction were successfully completed, which contents are still outstanding and which goals can already be defined? So the employee slowly goes over to the process of "normal" personnel development, which continues in the annual employee appraisals.
literature
- Klaus Moser, Roman Souček, Nathalie Galais, Colin Roth: Onboarding - integrating new employees . 1st edition. Hogrefe, 2018, ISBN 978-3-8017-2849-6 .
- Merkwitz, Ricarda; Peitz, Anja; (2007): Step by Step: Successful Integration of New Employees. In: International Personnel Selection, Ed .: Peitz, Anja, Pfeiffer, Rolf; Symposion Publishing GmbH, Düsseldorf
- Wiesner, Felix (2007): Onboarding new employees: Asking them to stay , Westernacher Business Management Consulting AG, Wiesloch
Single receipts
- ↑ Onboarding - Duden ; accessed on February 13, 2016