Let’s talk about onboarding and how awful it can be.

Yes, you can do things well, but the bottom line is those first few days, or weeks, can feel like an annual doctor’s visit with paperwork, uncomfortable conversations and a lackluster day at the office.

That’s not the experience you want employees to have. (And you probably don’t want to have at a doctor’s visit, much less at work.)

So let’s get better at bringing in new employees.

Those compliance processes before Day 1 are really what set the ground for an impersonal, monotonous, soul-sucking experience.

No one wants that! Not a new employee. Not a hiring manager. And not an HR professional.

And that’s what can be wrong with onboarding – the soul-sucking, paper-pushing, this-is-how-we-do-things kind of day – or worse – week. More than 60% of new employees find onboarding unclear. A third call it outright confusing.

So how do we fix a broken pattern with onboarding?

It needs to start from the day you accept the offer because that’s the bond you’ve kind of kicked off. You’ve created a relationship. You agreed to a relationship with the employer. The employer has agreed to a relationship with you.

So there’s the first key. Start bringing them on board way before the first day on the job.

If you think about onboarding, it can’t be cookie-cutter. It can’t be the same process for everyone.

Say someone is joining to work in Sales in New York. And you’re joining maybe in the HR team in the same team. Two very different roles!

The moment you’re able to speak to the individual as an individual, rather than a cluster or just a faceless name, that’s where the sense of belonging starts getting established.

And the sooner new hires feel a sense of belonging, the sooner they adapt to the role and company. Productivity and engagement follow. So to improve your onboarding process:

• Start sooner. Consider the day they accept the job as the same day you start bringing new employees on board.

• Customize the process. Sure everyone needs to sign the same paperwork. But you want to personalize the experience for every role and every person.

• Create belonging. Through an individualized approach, you can make every new employee feel like they’re the most important hire.

Onboarding sets the stage for every new employee’s job experience. You can’t afford to give them anything less than the best.

Information provided by: HR Morning