By Nicole Dhanraj
Are you overwhelmed with multiple tasks and feeling like there is not enough time in the day? This was my experience, which prompted me to consider ways to automate certain aspects of my operation. One area where we were falling short was onboarding new employees. I felt I made employees question their employment choice based on how erratic and terrible this process was.
While this is a crucial process, it was disorganized and caused a negative experience for our new hires. To address this, we evaluated our options. Delegating tasks was not a viable solution due to our current resource constraints. That’s when the idea of automation struck us as the perfect solution to streamline and improve this process. What a Rad Idea!
Automating the new employee onboarding process is an excellent way for leaders to streamline and ensure that all new hires have the information and resources they need to succeed in their new roles. Without automation, the onboarding process is inefficient, time-consuming and lacks standardization. Also, it is chaotic, especially since it is not tracked well and often. New employees may not complete all the necessary training or have all the required policies and procedures they need. This can lead to some HR processes being out of compliance. And, we know what a kick in the gut is when TJC requests HR records only to realize we don’t have them!
One idea for automating the process is to create an online onboarding portal that new hires can access as soon as they are hired. This eliminates the reliance on people to support this process. Your staff can be freed up to do the critical clinical work.
The portal should include all the necessary information and resources that new hires need to get started, such as company policies, benefits information, job descriptions and contact information for key staff members. Additionally, the portal should include interactive modules, such as quizzes and checklists, that new hires can complete to ensure they understand and comply with company policies and procedures.
Another critical component of the portal should be a messaging system that allows new hires to communicate with their managers and other key staff members. This messaging system can answer new hires’ questions and provide feedback and support as they navigate their new roles. Don’t worry about losing the human touch, as automation can be set up to allow for continuous communication and connection.
- Email reminders: Set up automated email reminders sent to new hires at specific intervals, reminding them to complete particular tasks or paperwork. These emails can be triggered based on the new hire’s start date or can be set up to be sent at specific intervals after the start date.
- Text message reminders: Similar to email reminders, text message reminders can be set up to be sent at specific intervals to remind new hires to complete specific tasks or paperwork. This can be useful for new hires who may not have regular access to email.
- Calendar invites: Automatically schedule calendar invites for new hires, reminding them of important deadlines and tasks they need to complete. These invites can be set to recur at specific intervals or dates.
- Task management software: Use task management software like Trello, Asana, etc., to assign tasks to new hires and set due dates for completion. This will allow new hires to see all their tasks in one place and track their progress.
- Reminder in the onboarding portal: Include a reminder in the onboarding portal that new hires can see when they log in. This can be a simple message or a list of tasks that need to be completed.
Personalized reminders: Use a personalized approach by assigning a mentor or a team member to follow up with new hires and remind them of the tasks they need to complete.
Imaging leaders can also use the onboarding portal to track the progress of new hires, ensuring that all necessary information and resources have been reviewed and all tasks have been completed. This allows leaders to identify and address any issues that may arise during the onboarding process and support new hires as needed, instead of finding out during a TJC inspection!
Overall, automating the new employee onboarding process can save precious time and resources while ensuring that new hires have the information and support they need to succeed in their new roles.
Onboarding is one of the most critical elements in ensuring that employees have a positive experience and will ultimately remain with the company. Hence, we need to have a well-established and sustainable onboarding process.
Share your RAD IDEA via an email to editor@mdpublishing.com.
