9 Ways to Engage Employees During Onboarding Process

It is always “Welcome on board” and not “Welcome on bored,” as no one wants to give a dull welcome to new hires. Similarly, the new hires don’t want to feel detached from the company or their professional commitments. Multiple kinds of research have proved, time and again, how important it is to keep potential employees engaged starting from the preboarding stage.

Employee turnover is an incredibly costly affair, which is why getting your new hires interested during pre-boarding and onboarding is vital. People who face a negative experience even before they get the job are likely to shift to better opportunities. In today’s global landscape, if we keep aside the mass layoffs, people are mostly quitting their jobs due to dissatisfaction or disconnection at their workplace. Fortunately, there are ways to improve employee engagement at all stages of the recruitment process.

What makes employee engagement important in the office?

Employee engagement is the mental and emotional bond employees feel toward their work, their teams, and their company. It is a no-brainer that engaged employees perform better and are more productive. According to Leap some’s 2023 State of People Enablement Report, there is a significant perception gap between HR leaders and employees concerning employee engagement. 95% of HR leaders feel that employees are somewhat engaged, while 64% of employees say that they are somewhat disengaged.

Ask any proficient HR manager and they will agree that employee engagement is the need of the hour for any company. In today’s day and age, HR managers are going above and beyond with the help of advanced solutions, like employee engagement survey software. It is to understand how and what their workforce feels and if they are satisfied with their work. When people put in equal effort, business outcomes will be much better. Here are a few reasons why employee engagement must dominate the workplace:

• Increased employee productivity
• Higher employee retention
• Better health and well-being of employees
• Less absenteeism 
• Quicker turnaround time.

9 ways to engage employees during recruitment and onboarding

Everyone wants charged-up employees who show up for the job. It is proven that engaged employees improve employee retention. Therefore, it is vital to keep employees engaged right from the recruitment stage. The following are a few ways through which you can get your employee started on the right track and make the workplace experience more enjoyable:

1. Create engaging advertisements

The first point of contact between your needed candidate and the company is the recruitment advertisement they come across. Therefore, the content in the advertisement/post must land a good first impression on the people. Unique business identity, punchy lines, trendy keywords, benefits of the job, pay package, and more can be used to make it more appealing and eye-catching. 

2. Invest in technology

Technology has upped the quality of job applications over the years. Be prepared to spend a little on creating advertisements, social media accounts, and content. Emojis, GIFS, and memes are one of the most common and trendy ways which get the attention of people. Use advanced tools and software to cut down manual work, like going through applications. 

3. Build a positive brand community

Having a strong brand community influences the company’s reputation for the better. This step is an integral part of the recruiting process because candidates now have social media and employer review sites to do their research. They will want to associate only with those companies that provide good working experiences to their staff. The stronger your community is, the more people will engage with your company. 

4. Send a personalized welcome gift

Who doesn’t love gifts? For you new people also, it is necessary to send them some token of love and luck before they officially start working with you. They may still be in the phase of wondering if they made the right decision to join your company. Your gift is one way to tell them that they did. Send a gift basket or a kit that includes a mug, a pen, a notebook, snacks, special merch, a plant, or anything else that aligns with your company’s image.

5. Wrap up admin tasks

The excitement of joining a new company will be on another level. You must use the energy to complete admin tasks so that the first day at work will not be drowned with formalities and paperwork. The recruit may get started by setting up an official email, creating accounts on a communication platform, and filling in legal information and other important data. 

6. Prepare them for their first day

You need to be an active part of the recruit’s professional life throughout their tenure at the company. However, the most important stage is the onboarding stage, where they are highly dependent on you. Before they physically join the office or be a part of team meetings online, you need to update them about the date, address, venue, and more so as to welcome them. 

7. Introduce them to their co-workers

Introductions aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, especially not for people in a new environment. Instead of making them roam around like strangers, tag them along wherever you go so that they meet new people and see the processes happening in the company. Ensure they are introduced directly to the people they will be working with. If there is an event or an informal meet on the day they join, including them in those is a highly effective way to break the ice.

8. Connect with them on social media

Building connections at work is important as most of them grow into friendships and contribute to the company’s brand image. Therefore, invite them to connect on social media and encourage their team members to do the same. Doing so will help them understand the company culture and make them feel like a part of the company, which is needed to develop employee engagement. 

9. Set expectations and encourage feedback

Their definition of success may differ from yours. To keep work smooth, let them know about their responsibilities and expected accomplishments in a timeframe, say 60 days, and build on it later as they blend in more. These goals will keep them productive at work. At the same time, be receptive to their opinions and ideas and regularly conduct employee feedback meets. If there is something they don’t understand, make sure they understand the know-how of it. Communication must be a two-way process throughout the recruitment process (discussed below) to contribute to higher employee engagement.

7 stages in the life cycle of recruitment

Recruitment, although the primary responsibility of the HR departments, impacts all levels in the company. Therefore, any wrong step may go a long way in the hiring process and result in more expenditure. The journey starts with finding the right candidate and ends with their hiring, as simple as that. 

1. Defining requirements

The first stage of recruitment is defining what qualities you’re looking for in your desired candidate. Expectations, needs, and responsibilities must be mentioned specifically so that it becomes easier to identify people who fit the bill among all those who send in their CVs or turn up for interviews. Further details like job location, salaries, perks, and more, if mentioned from the beginning, will also smoothen the recruitment process. 

2. Preparing job descriptions

Once you define the qualities of your ideal candidate, you need to create a proper and precise job description that grabs the attention of interested candidates. The job description must have accurate and honest details like:

• Company name and background
• Job title and its type
• Number of openings
• Salary offered
• Roles and qualification
• Job location
• Benefits, and more.

3. Sourcing candidates

Once your requirements and descriptions are developed, it's time to put out the information online so that people see it. There are various ways and platforms to reach out to the needed demographic. LinkedIn is one place that people use for professional purposes, so you can advertise there. Posting from your company’s official accounts on social media platforms like Instagram is also a convenient option.

4. Screening applications

One of the most time-consuming stages in the recruitment process is this, where you have to scan through numerous applications. It’s also rewarding because you eliminate most applications at this stage itself. You need to pay attention to the details at this step so that you’re closer to the person best suited for the role. The next time makes selection a lot more seamless.

5. Interviewing the selected

After separating the applications of those who fit your role, it's time to schedule interviews so that you know the person behind those applications. Understanding their persona and expectations will be beneficial in knowing if they will fit into your company. A pro tip is to be prepared with a set list of questions that will give you all the information you need.

6. Hiring the best ones of the lot

Hiring is where the recruitment process officially ends. After interviews and analyzing data, you will be at the spot where you can identify your needed employee. Make sure to take into consideration the feedback of other team members before hiring someone officially. Once everyone is on the same page, you can officially hand the recruitment letter to the person and welcome them to the company.

7.  Onboarding the recruits

Your job isn’t done just after hiring the employee. In fact, this is where the real work begins. You need to develop an effective onboarding strategy that motivates the recruit to stay in the company. A new work environment may make them feel confused and scared, so there needs to be a plan where the employee is engaged and feels like a part of the company. The steps in the engagement process are explained further in detail.

Smarter onboarding with vis-a-vis effective employee engagement

The 9 ways discussed are a few practical pieces of advice to make employee engagement easier to achieve. You can add in more depending on your company’s mannerisms. You must remember that onboarding isn’t done and dusted until your employee engages completely with your company’s culture, working styles, and beliefs. The good news is that the invested time, resources, and efforts will always pay off in higher retention and engagement.

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By B Naomi Grace