DQ: Identify the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the onboarding or assimilation processes
HRM 635 Topic 4 DQ 2
DQ: Identify the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the onboarding or assimilation processes
REPLY TO DISCUSSION
Onboarding is the process in which new employees get acquainted with their role, their team and the organization. Effective onboarding practices help employees become part of the organization and makes an active shift towards the contribution to organizational goals. process of integrating newcomers to the company, turning them into inspired and productive employees. Effective onboarding practices also have a positive effect on employer branding. In the first weeks of starting a new job, friends, family, and former colleagues will ask who the new employer and the business. As an organization, you want this first impression to be the best. With proper onboarding, new employees will immediately share a positive impression of the company, within their direct network. For the small business, the changes made include having a formal onboard process. Even though it is a small family-owned company it is very import that the expectations of the owner and employee are known. Assumptions cannot be left up to anyone.
This small business would benefit from the “4Cs” model, developed by Bauer (2010), suggests that onboarding comprises four levels which relate predominantly to the content of the onboarding but also hints at process elements. (Becker & Bish, 2021)
These include Compliance at the lowest level (i.e., giving the basic information about policy and legal requirements), Clarification (of the role and expectations), Culture (identifying formal and informal cultural norms and expectations), and at the highest level, Connection (i.e., providing an opportunity to build the necessary relationships and networks to be successful). The 4Cs model incorporates not only the necessary content for a newcomer to assimilate effectively but also reinforces important organizational actions, such as facilitating connections and ensuring opportunities to develop informal knowledge about the organization.
Reference
Becker, K., & Bish, A. (2021). A framework for understanding the role of unlearning in onboarding. Human Resource Management Review, 31(1), 100730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2019.100730
I thought you had a very informative post and I agree that an important outcome of the onboarding process that the new employee has connections and development opportunities. Ensuring connections are made for the new employee will help them to feel welcomed to the organization and give them somebody they can reach out to when they have questions. One of the organizations that I work for does a good job of developing connections because they identify an employee from the department that the new employee is going to and have them lead the new member through the training.
I truly enjoyed reading your post and believe that you have pitched in valuable insights. I agree with you on the reason to have a
DQ Identify the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the onboarding or assimilation processes
detailed onboarding process. For an onboarding program to be effective and successful, you should proactively onboard your new hires for their entire first year. A successful onboarding strategy will reduce attrition and increase employee engagement, both of which impact your customers’ satisfaction as well as your bottom line. When an employee understands the purpose behind the company (vision), how the company plans to fulfill that purpose (mission), and the guiding set of beliefs and behaviors that will help the company achieve its purpose (core values), the employee can align with their own beliefs and behaviors and see how they not only align with the values, but contribute to the company’s overall purpose (Newhouse, 2020).
Reference:
Newhouse, M. (2020, December 2). Why Effective Onboarding Is More Important Than Ever. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/12/02/why-effective-onboarding-is-more-important-than-ever/?sh=70b727f43f66
Excellent definition and explanation of what onboarding is. I concur with your statement that the first week on the job is crucial for the new employer’s feelings about the work environment. Having that connection and feeling comfortable with other employers definitely will help in the newly hired retention. Also, integrating the three dimensions approach, the organizational, the technical, and the social, will help with the employers’ retention and thrive in the organization.
Carucci, R. (2018). To Retain New Hires, Spend More Time Onboarding Them. Harvard Business Digital Review. 1-5. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=cb124127-0402-4336-89f6-49bc09c1e4d1%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=133380747&db=bth
Formal boarding process exist with the VA system,. Often employees are hired and not boarded which means that their salary is no locked in. When employees are not barded they are not guaranteed a job. The hiring process at the VA is very lengthy and time consuming.I consider the process to be formal even though it is carried out informally. A tremendous amount of paper work is required to bard and employee. In addition, to filling out the paperwork, expensive background checks are in place as well.” The most effective organizations onboard new hires for up to a year their first year. Their most vulnerable period and focus is on three key dimensions, the organization, the technical, and the social. By using this approach employees they enable their employees to stay and thrive.” (Carucci, 2018) Some of the factors that contribute to effectiveness include training and increase in salary, Training usually takes place for the first year in which employees are required to complete competencies. Barding employees requires looking at the employee in its totality and scoring that individual for justification of salary.
Some of the changes that I would make regarding assimilation would be the time that it takes to board individuals. The paperwork that was required at the time of hire should be readily available. Having the information handy will speed up the barding process. Employees will not have to produce duplicate copies and be redundant. Creating a flow chart of the steps involved in the boarding process would serve as a great tool to not only follow but reference along the way. Barding employees initially when hiring and not waiting months down the line would be beneficial as well. “When boarding employees it is important to include classes on improving participants coaching and communication skills, instill a culture of learning, Utilization of strategic work skills, and cross functional knowledge.” (Bahm, 2020)
Bahm,H. (2022). Design learner centric Development Programs. TD Talent Development. http://Td.org
Carucci, R. (2018). To Retain New Hires, Spend More Time Onboarding Them. Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, 1–5.
Good insights! Many people think that retention rates can be negatively affected if companies do not have formal orientation and socialization programs. Advocates like to discuss these retention rates and the socialization process being linked closely. True, they are sometimes linked, but not always. Retention rates can suffer even when the socialization processes are in place. Retention can be affected by a myriad of issues. Some of you in class have never had a structured assimilation experience, but rather have seen an informal process of senior employees mentoring new employees. Something to note, informal processes are not always inferior to formal ones. In smaller organizations, too much formalization can actually slow down the process. Larger companies tend to have formalized processes to ensure quality, meet legal requirements, and present the big picture to employees.
Do you think more or less formalization would be helpful at your company?
I think that less formalization would be helpful in my company. Currently, the hiring process takes several months to complete. Filling out several documents and strenuous background checks play a huge role in the turn over time. Yes, the organization is large so structure is needed. However, the company would benefit from less structure to speed up the hiring and training process. ” The hiring process includes, completing new hire documents and forms online, background check including fingerprints, and drug and physical test.” (Navigating the Hiring Process, 2022)