Onboarding. Now that can be a frustrating part of the recruitment process for candidates. They’ve been offered the job, they’re waiting to start… and they’re waiting… and they’re waiting. It’s like being stuck on the platform at Tumbleweed Town with no sign of a train going to their destination and nobody around to apologise for the delay or explain what’s happening.

‘Sorry about that. Leaves on the line. Your train will be here in 20 minutes.’ Great – thanks
for letting me know.

‘Hang on in there – just waiting for your DBS checks and you’re good to go.’ Brilliant –
appreciate the update.

To continue with the train analogy – well I’ve started and frankly there’s no going back now
– onboarding needs to keep the wheels turning. Candidates want a smooth and speedy journey. And if they don’t get it, they might change direction and head for a new destination called Competitor City.

Don’t wait, automate

Of course, in many ways onboarding can’t be rushed. There’s a lot of document gathering and verifying to be done – references, Right to Work, pre-employment forms, medical checks and such like. These things are totally necessary and do take time. And yet speed is of the essence.

The longer candidates have to wait, the longer they have to consider their options – and there could be plenty of those if they’ve applied for multiple jobs. Keeping candidates hanging around doesn’t exactly give a good impression of the new company either. Maybe they’d prefer an organisation that’s more go-getting and dynamic.

The good news is automation can help recruiters and hiring managers pick up the pace and keep candidates on side. All those time-consuming manual tasks like chasing references and getting contracts signed can be done in the blink of an eye. Or at least pretty darned quickly. Automated reminders can be sent to candidates to nudge them into action when a form is waiting to be filled out or their Proof of Identity is still a no-show.

And it’s not just about preventing candidate hold-ups. Communication is obviously a two- way street and here at HARBOUR we can set things up so candidates get regular comms (personalised as per the organisation’s brand, by the way) to keep them in the loop on where they’re at and what’s next.

Find out how Suez elevated their onboarding process

Engage your candidates

Onboarding isn’t just about getting candidates into the new company – it’s keeping them
there.

A whole host of recruitment research points to candidates leaving their job due to a poor
onboarding experience  survey found that around a third of new hires who’d quit within six months had received little or no onboarding –15% of them specifically cited the ineffective onboarding process  as their reason for leaving.

It sure doesn’t have to be that way.

Onboarding can be so much more than clearance and box-ticking compliance. How about a
welcome message from the CEO. A virtual tour of the office. Access to the employee
handbook. How-to guides. The latest company news.

Dry and dreary won’t cut it with candidates. Yes, they need information to help them quickly
and seamlessly integrate into their new workplace. But they also want to feel inspired by the company that hired them and excited about being part of it.

We’re all for giving candidates more of what they want. Heck, our Onboarding Portal can be customised so they get an onboarding experience to match their level or role in the organisation. Meanwhile hiring managers can use the portal to build a personalised
induction plan and engagement programme – something that really impresses candidates,
we find.

Honestly, onboarding doesn’t have to be the No Man’s Land of recruitment.

Automate, communicate and create a fun and inspiring experience – and candidates will stick with you for the ride.

Fancy a chat about onboarding? Let’s do it!