Part 4: Easy Mondays - Acculturation and Integration

Part 4: Easy Mondays - Acculturation and Integration

The transactional side of onboarding including form completion and provisioning is only part of the picture when it comes to an employee's first day of work. This is the time when new hires form their initial impression about their employer's corporate culture. Creating an atmosphere that encourages integration is yet another area of onboarding that requires a joint effort.

The employee's manager and coworkers play an important role in welcoming new employees into the company. However, HR also has an opportunity to enhance this process by developing an interactive acculturation portal. Since filling out electronic forms takes very little time compared to paper documents, there is time for a new hire to become immersed in an onboarding socialization module without being overwhelmed.

Here are a few ideas to help new hires get an "Easy Monday" start:

Training & Orientation

One of the most critical areas for Human Resources to facilitate in acculturation onboarding is training and orientation. New hires should receive initial orientation regarding safety and anti-harassment on their first Monday. This re-emphasizes the importance of these topics above and beyond the policy acknowledgements the employee has already signed.

Presenting an online video followed by a brief multiple choice test to evaluate comprehension is a good way to start the orientation process. Tracking participation and outcomes in each educational module will help HR make improvements for future new hires.

Any training & development partners should be readily accessible through the onboarding program via single sign-on. This makes it easy for new hires to navigate between the employer's portal and third party sites without having to memorize multiple passwords on their first day.

Company Profile

The goal of a welcome section isn't to educate new hires about every detail of how a company works. Instead, an effective introduction should highlight a few things that make a business stand out from the competition. This could be a history of community service or a track record of taking accessibility and diversity seriously. Uploading scanned images of newspaper clippings or inserting links to online news content (other than the company's own press releases) is a particularly effective way to communicate these messages.

This is an area of the onboarding portal that should always be branded with the company's personal touch. A short video or podcast featuring the CEO would be appropriate as a modern alternative to a welcome letter. The goal should be to spark excitement in new hires and make them feel they are working for a company that has a real purpose and mission. This section needs to be short enough to maintain the user's interest and leave him/her wanting to learn more.

Coworker Introductions

Acculturation onboarding may be used to enhance the normal round of coworker handshaking during the company tour. Presenting a departmental page that features photos and a brief bio of each coworker makes it easier for new hires to remember who's who during face-to-face introductions. It also shows that the organization sees each employee as an individual.

New hires may also be directed to fill out their own bio page and introduce themselves to coworkers through the social networking medium. A brief video or slideshow tutorial can clarify the instructions for this process step by step. It will also help ensure that the end result matches the company's expected standards for professionalism while providing room for the new employee's personality to shine through.

Group Immersion

In large organizations, developing an instant connection with other coworkers can ease the transition into the corporate culture. When new hires begin forming friendships, they experience a greater sense of being embedded in the work community. This is one key to building a strong team.

It is possible to lay the groundwork on the employee's first day by providing links to activities and special interest groups in the onboarding platform. This might include information on a ride sharing program, a walking group, a bowling league, or a book club. It should be clear that participation in any SIG is purely optional so the new hire doesn't feel obligated to make a commitment just to fit in.

Acculturation is a much lengthier process than transactional onboarding. If new hires complete just a few socialization tasks on their first Monday, they are off to a great start!

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