Employee Onboarding Guide
Role-Tailored Onboarding
Last Updated: May 15th, 2024
All employees, no matter their level or status, will need some sort of onboarding process, since this is how an organization conveys culture, rules and guidelines for all employees. However, the process may be modified to meet the differing needs of various groups of employees. Tailoring is an opportunity to specialize your onboarding program to meet the EVP promised during recruitment.
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> Role-Tailored Onboarding
Executives
Executive onboarding requires focused integration to succeed, such as supporting the new leader in aligning with stakeholders and building relationships with the rest of the team. Understanding the organizational culture is imperative, as they must work within it even if the goal is to change it. For further reading, learn why onboarding isn't enoughopens in a new tab.
Managers
All supervisory and management employees will need a review of not only the employee handbook and company policies and programs, but also information on how to administer or lead these various programs and policies. Ongoing training on how to answer the five questions of onboarding for their direct reports will be crucial to success. Learning how to coach employees, especially new hires, as part of their manager duties will help employers make good on their employee value proposition. Dive deeper into manager onboarding best practices with a viewpoint on the 5 key steps to effective manager onboarding.
Both new and current managers can improve their skills and readiness to lead teams by earning SHRM's People Manager Qualification (PMQ) through a self-paced, virtual learning experience.
Remote Workers
Employees who work from home all or part of the time will need guidance on how regular check-ins will be conducted, as well as such details as the use of company equipment for nonbusiness purposes, time monitoring, privacy at home and communications challenges. What behaviors are encouraged or expected in order to fit into the organizational and team cultures should be explained in detail.
Differently Abled Workers
Persons with disabilities also may need information about accommodation options and how to arrange them with human resources or their manager. Both employees and managers should feel comfortable with the process of asking for and providing accommodations that will support success on the job.
Veterans/Returning Servicemembers
Veterans often are challenged to translate their military skills into private-sector jobs. They may benefit from additional support in determining how their skill set relates to their role and adds value to the team. For more information, the book From We Will to At Will: A Handbook for Veteran Hiring, Transitioning, and Thriving in the Workplaceopens in a new tab serves as a comprehensive resource on setting veterans up for success.
Second-Chance/Formerly Incarcerated Workers
Returning to the working world can be a shock, and more time to acclimate and assistance from a supportive buddy can be highly beneficial. Highlighting available training and development programs is key; explore further with these 4 best practices for second-chance hiring.
Gig Workers
Independent contractors and consultants, while not employees, may need instruction on billing, accessing the premises, basic conduct expectations and other unique issues the organization should address in an abbreviated onboarding process. Similarly, interns, temporary workers or seasonal employees may have different benefits, rules of conduct, policies and programs that the employer should explain to them. View our guide on how to onboard a gig employee.
Web-Based/Virtual Onboarding
Whether your workplace is fully in-person, fully remote or a hybrid model, online onboarding has become mainstream. Offering online orientation activities streamlines the process, supports paperless documentation, and offers a way for employees and their families to access benefits and other company information at any time. Other onboarding activities can be completed around varying schedules and at a pace most helpful for individual employees, and information can easily be tailored for various audiences.
Virtual Onboarding Resources:
