Onboarding and offboarding, key moments in every company

It’s not only important to find the right people for your company, but also to take care of how they enter and how they leave it. Onboarding and offboarding processes are critical moments within the life cycle of your employee and have a direct impact on the work experience, your company reputation and the talent retention.

When a person joins an organization, their first real contact with the company will determine their expectations, motivation and level of commitment. Similarly, the way their leave is managed will influence how they remember their experience and what they will convey about your company. In today's post, we will talk about two key processes in every company that you should consider in yours.

Onboarding: the beginning of a positive work experience

Onboarding is the process of integrating a person into the company after their hiring. It is a key moment, since it directly influences their adaptability, performance and retention. In addition, a solid onboarding process will help to reduce uncertainty and will accelerate productivity from the start.

Although the Human Resources department must lead this process, the integration of the new employee must be a collective effort in which the entire team, direct managers, and the organization must participate. So that you fully understand why this is not trivial, we will tell you what benefits a good onboarding process can bring to your company:

1. Helps accelerate the new employee's adaptation to their work environment and, therefore, their performance and productivity.
2. Fosters a sense of belonging and strengthens the commitment of the new employee.
3. Minimizes turnover and loss of talent. In fact, research from Glassdoor showed that a solid onboarding process can improve employee retention rates by 82%.
4. Helps convey the company's values, culture, and mission and ensures the entire team is aligned.
5. Helps establish a trusting relationship between the worker, their team, and leaders.
6. Facilitates access to your company's tools and systems.
7. It’s a great opportunity to resolve doubts from the very first moment.

Now, what are the keys to a good onboarding process? There are several steps and aspects to consider for it to truly work:

• Offer a personalized welcome. For the first point of contact, organize a meeting on the first day with the new employee and their manager to welcome them, introduce colleagues, and thus generate a close and positive atmosphere.
• Welcome kit. Having a welcome kit that includes relevant information about your company (history, values, organization chart, internal rules, main clients, or occupational safety) facilitates quick adaptation. Additionally, including a small detail such as a personalized mug or notebook reinforces the feeling of belonging.
• Access to platforms and technologies. Another crucial moment is providing the new employee with all the necessary access from day one so they can enter the tools and platforms they will use in their day-to-day work.
• Follow-up and support meeting. It is also important to schedule a follow-up meeting after the first weeks since their incorporation. This way, you can detect doubts, possible difficulties, and areas for improvement. Furthermore, it’s a very effective way to make them feel supported.
• Assign a mentor to the new employee. Assign a colleague from their team who can meet regularly with them during the first months of their incorporation to help them when needed.

Finally, make sure you give them time to learn. The first few days in a new job involve a lot of information to absorb and learn, so you can't expect them to have everything clear from the get-go.

Offboarding: closing a professional chapter

On the opposite side, offboarding is the process carried out to close a professional stage in a transparent and respectful manner. This departure can be due to different reasons, such as resignation, dismissal, or retirement. Whatever the cause, it must always be managed professionally, orderly, and with respect.

Although less importance is given to it than to onboarding, it is a process that must also be taken care of, as a poorly managed departure can negatively affect the work environment and the company's image. The main objectives of offboarding are:

• Facilitate a friction-less exit.

• Securely deactivate accesses.
• Obtain feedback on their time at the company.
• Protect and maintain the company's reputation.
• Convert the ex-employee into a brand ambassador.
• Ensure that a good work environment is maintained.

To succeed in this process, there are several practices you can employ, such as communicating the departure clearly and respectfully; organizing exit interviews to gather feedback and learning; and thanking the employee for their contribution during their time at the company.

Ultimately, the onboarding and offboarding processes should be seen as more than just an administrative procedure, but as key moments that define the employee experience and reflect the company culture. Managing them correctly can be key to your company's reputation and productivity.