Onboarding employees in 2024 is different to what it used to be, with raised expectations and new technologies and processes required to meet them.
Workplaces today are more remote and distributed than ever before. As a result, onboarding processes are increasingly digital and companies are turning to software for documentation, virtual training sessions, and icebreakers to build rapport between new hire and their existing team. Outside of geographical changes in the way we work, there’s been a broader shift towards a more holistic, employee-centric approach to onboarding that prioritizes engagement, inclusivity, and seamless integration into the company culture – particularly important for the up-and-coming Gen Z workforce.
Let’s look at why onboarding is such a critical part of how your company functions.
First impressions matter. We all know the feeling of the first few days, weeks, and months in a new job. It can be confusing and stressful without employee onboarding processes to ensure a smooth transition into the role. As well as making new hires feel at home, a well-structured onboarding process helps new employees become productive and deliver value more quickly.
Feeling welcomed and being well-prepared for success from Day 1 is directly linked to how long your employees stay at your company over a long-term horizon. Effective onboarding can improve employee retention by 82%, according to Brandon Hall Group.
When employee onboarding is lacking, nobody wins, and the damage is felt by both employee and employer. There are a number of factors that can hinder the onboarding process, but many of them boil down to communication.
Bombarding new employees with too much information at once can be overwhelming and counterproductive. Information overload and inadequate training can leave new hires unprepared to perform their duties effectively, leading to frustration.
On the flip side, there can be a glaring lack of communication for new hires, particularly in remote roles. Remote or hybrid workers can feel isolated if the onboarding process doesn’t include strategies to foster connection and collaboration with the team. As a result, employees can feel lost in their new roles, and too overwhelmed to build confidence and relationships at their new company.
Thankfully, modern onboarding software has come to the rescue.
The best employee onboarding software also helps you select the best talents, with applicant tracking tools to secure the best hires.
Onboarding software can offer insights and analytics on the onboarding process, helping HR identify areas for improvement and measure the effectiveness of their onboarding strategies.
Let’s look at some of the best-in-class examples of employee onboarding software.
Need to onboard an onboarding software? We’ve compiled what we think are the five best platforms out there, proven to build seamless and engaging processes for organizations large and small. These are in no particular order, since we couldn’t bring ourselves to rank them.
Deel is a full-scale HR platform that brings a global approach to onboarding, allowing HR teams to provide a seamless and unified experience to any worker, no matter their location. It offers a secure and compliant solution for businesses to manage employee data, automate workflows, and set up local benefits and payroll.
Why Deel? Their employer of record service offers a simple and compliant way to hire and onboard employees using one of their 100+ local entities, while its contractor management service helps you collect necessary compliance paperwork and generate localized contractor agreements. In addition, Deel’s HR tools allow you to easily provision software access, send out company equipment, and initiate background checks.
Key features: Deel provides an easy-to-use interface that guides users through creating contracts, including a library of templates and clauses that you can pick from to customize your contracts and offer letters. Its employee onboarding tracker lets you add new employees to the system and track their progress throughout the orientation and onboarding process. Deel automatically keeps track of all documents and forms that need to be completed and allows users to securely sign and store compliance docs. The platform also offers free HR software for businesses to help automate admin and reporting for global workforces.
GoCo is an all-in-one HR software that helps you automate your onboarding checklist and give new-hires a pre-boarding digital experience before their first day.
Why GoCo? GoCo’s digital-first approach earns it a place on this list. Not only can you reduce the pain of having paper documents lying around, but once you are done with the onboarding part of the new employee's life, you still have a fully-fledged HR platform that can help with payroll, compliance, and performance management, among other services.
Key features: GoCo’s features include automated workflows and magic docs, a proprietary technology that lets you turn documents into fillable forms with data fields you can store and report on. These allow you to set up tasks and reminders for each step of the onboarding process, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
GoCo's onboarding module also features e-signature in online offer letters, onboarding checklists, and a way for your employees to choose and enroll in their benefits package and easily set up their payroll information.
Candor is a tool designed for remote teams to connect beyond traditional Zoom meetings and integrate recognition seamlessly into their daily interactions. The platform’s engaging and intuitive features make building team culture effortless and enjoyable from Day 1 of onboarding. It’s the only tool on this list that focuses less on tactical, task-based onboarding and more on ensuring your new hires and existing team members get to know one another in an organic and fun way.
Why Candor? Candor goes beyond traditional HR tools by fostering genuine connections and continuous recognition within remote teams. Its diverse range of features ensures that every team member feels seen and appreciated, enhancing overall team cohesion and morale. This makes Candor an excellent choice for employee onboarding, as it provides a holistic approach to integrating new hires into the team, promoting immediate engagement, and building a strong foundation for collaboration.
Key features: Candor offers comprehensive profiles where team members can share their work preferences, styles, and personal anecdotes, allowing for deeper, more genuine introductions beyond the basics of name and role. These profiles include chapters detailing career history, and honest ‘takes’ from colleagues, which help new hires feel understood and valued from day one. Additional features include interactive polls for team input, shoutouts for celebrating achievements, check-ins for tracking goals and well-being, continuous bi-directional feedback for personal growth, and 1-on-1 meetings with guided agenda setting for effective communication. Together, these features create an environment where remote teams can thrive through enhanced communication, recognition, and continuous feedback, making onboarding smooth and effective.
A staple in the startup world, BambooHR allows for a high level of customization for each new hire. This can be broken down by the job, the department, the location, and more. Onboarding tasks can be automated, with tasks assigned to the new hire, as well as to managers and other employees to help them on their way.
Key features: The simplicity and customization allows for a unique user experience for each hire. With the templates, you can make an onboarding guide aimed at specific roles, seniority, and departments for a better overall experience.
Why Bamboo? Bamboo is popular with startups for a reason. Its overall user experience makes it easy for HR teams to track progress and focus on the bigger picture of the onboarding process.
Workable is a recruiting software and hiring platform that provides a comprehensive suite of tools for managing the recruitment process, onboarding process, and ongoing HR procedures. The software allows users to onboard new hires, manage employee information, view organizational structure, and organize company documents in one place.
Why Workable? Workable can handle the entire hiring process, from sourcing candidates to their first day on the job, within a single platform. Additionally, Workable's employee onboarding module offers automated task management, customizable workflows, and personalized onboarding portals, which help new hires ramp quickly. With features like e-signatures, document storage, and progress tracking, Workable not only simplifies compliance but also fosters a more organized and welcoming environment.
Onboarding is the first impression new hires have of your company and it’s important to get it right. Good onboarding means happier new hires and faster ramp up, and it’s critical to choose the right employee onboarding software to help.
If you’re looking for a way to rapidly integrate a new hire into your team and help them do their best work, talk to us today.
Candor makes it easy to connect and have fun with your teammates, even while you’re remote. Use Candor to do feedback, shoutouts, check-ins, and more, all in one place.
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