Properly implementing tech

The kinds of processes you'll optimise depend mainly on the outcomes you want. Verizon Connect's guide to small business timesavers states that it is important to prioritise reconfiguring business processes; it also works when deciding which operations to move to tech. If you want your new hire to learn the ropes by being on the job, you might want just to grant them access to a Google Drive folder for them to reference (instead of hosting a long orientation meeting) so that they can pick things up as they go along.

Here are some concrete ways to implement tech in your onboarding process:

Consider a messaging service. These apps foster easy communication and are also great for remote teams. You can even create channels for specific teams.

Online training. Depending on the nature of your work, new hires might need to sift through lots of highly specialised information (as in the healthcare or tech industry). Online training modules help employees learn at their own pace.

Feedback forms. Smarter CX underscores the importance of employee engagement, and it can start right at the onboarding stage. Asking new hires to evaluate the onboarding process through online forms shows that you value their input.

Notifications for HR. Notifications can be sent to HR personnel regarding who submitted which form, when submissions are due, and the like. Automated reminders can decrease a lot of wasted time spent following up in person.

Communication expert Shane Michael Hatton emphasises just how crucial it is for HR to really listen and get to know employees. Unfortunately, a slew of monotonous tasks often gets in the way of forging real connections. Streamlining onboarding through tech can leave more time for team bonding activities or even just general chats. Using tech in the onboarding process can also help alleviate the work that HR has to do, as collecting forms and filing documents can be a lot of work all for the sake of onboarding one individual.