Onboarding is the process by which the employees are provided with the necessary training and information about the company so that they can prove to be successful in their new jobs. The onboarding process varies from company to company, the goals for which are usually set at 30 days, 90 days, 6 months to 1 year. This period should ideally get the new employee acquainted with the organizational culture, company mission and personal and organizational goals.

It is imperative that the process is not only simple and interesting but also repeatable.

While the technology for recruitment processes has undergone a change over the years, the onboarding process has been pretty much the same for the last 10 to 20 years. However, recently many organizations have started using technology that can support onboarding systems, thereby ensuring that the new employees are assimilated properly.

The role of onboarding technology

Onboarding technology does not only help companies in tracking tasks and prompting responses but also in answering any queries from the new employees. Following are some of the ways in which onboarding technology like Staff Glass onboarding software help organizations.

1. Document generation

Organizations can use natural language processing (NLP) for generating contracts, offer letters and other vital documents for the new employee. However, a human would still be required to validate them and ensure that they are signed properly.

2. Chatbots for answering queries

A chatbot can be used to answer many of the basic queries any new hires might come up with. This is usually a form of FAQ, but with a slight back and forth. Any new queries could be added to the system to make it more adaptable.

3. ONA for networking

It is important for new employees to build relationships with the team members and their peers to become engaged employees and also to increase productivity. This is where organizational network analysis (ONA) can come in. It introduces the new employees to the critical points of contact in the organization.

4. Video introductions

Another method of familiarizing the employees with the organization is by using introductory videos of the existing employees and share them with the new hire.

5. Digital training

Digital training allows the employees to go through the training material at their own pace. This is made easy with digital training platforms, which are easily customizable to suit the requirements of the organisation. The information provided to the new employees is tailored to their position and learning styles so that it can relevant and well as understandable.

6. AI for organizational processes

A good AI onboarding system is capable of adjusting the information according to specific jobs, in the way it is presented, completed and required. It is helpful in giving the proper permissions, and also for developing the tools for understanding specific information.

7. Feedback analysis

HR professionals can use the tools provided by technological systems for an easier understanding of the feedback and insights. This can be accomplished with the help of NLP, which allows HR managers to extract quality insights from a large quantity of textual feedback. This is helpful in gauging employee sentiment and for improving the efficiency of HR processes.

An effective onboarding process is essential for the success of a new employee, and also for boosting their morale. There is a lot that depends on their experience, since it is generally observed that new hires decide in the first year whether or not they want to stay in the company for the long term.