When you need to onboard en masse, you’ll face unique challenges that don’t occur when you bring in a single new hire at a time. Fortunately, it’s possible to plan for any of the problematic aspects, allowing you to stay on target. If you need to tackle a mass onboarding, here are five tips that can boost your chances of success.
1. Give New Hires a Moment to Mingle
One great way to create a sense of comradery among new hires is to give them a chance to mingle. Before their first informational session, give them explicit permission to engage in light conversation. For example, you could have the first slide of an upcoming presentation state that they are welcome to chat as they make their way into the room.
Giving them a moment to mingle keeps the experience light. Plus, new hires can build excitement together or ease each other’s nerves, creating a “we’re in this together” mindset that can be beneficial.
2. Embrace the Group Format
The group format is helpful for several parts of the onboarding process. Office tours, product demos, benefits explanations, and leadership meet and greets are all well suited to that approach. The same can go for safety training that applies to all employees.
With group activities, you increase efficiency, as you won’t have to repeat that task with every new hire. Plus, it can help incoming employees maintain a set schedule and build relationships with each other.
3. Schedule One-on-Ones with Managers and Teammates
While the group format works well for some activities, meeting their managers and teammates shouldn’t be done en masse. Instead, it’s smart to carve out one-on-one time. Not only can that ensure they can take center stage during introductions, but it also gives them a break from the group format, which can boost engagement.
4. Assign Every New Hire a Buddy
Having a buddy that can act as a mentor is a wise addition to any onboarding process, but it’s particularly critical if you’re doing mass onboarding. In some cases, the group format makes it difficult for every new hire to get questions answered or insights specific to their job. By having a buddy, they know where to turn. Plus, it’ll help them bond with an existing employee, making them feel like less of an outsider.
5. Focus on Engagement
In many cases, group onboarding activities involve more lectures and less interactivity. That can harm engagement, especially if the sessions are lengthy. Fortunately, by adding opportunities to get involved, you can bring engagement up.
One option is to include breakout sessions where new hires can work together on a task. Having Q&As is beneficial, as well as having new hires participate in roleplay scenarios. You can also use live polls or quizzes. By mixing things up, you ensure the process remains interesting. In turn, that’ll boost knowledge retention, all while making a better impression.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, mass onboarding can be challenging, but it’s also manageable. By using the tips above and the right HR tech, you can boost engagement, all while ensuring your program is effective.
At Essium, we help leading staffing firms bridge the talent gap and reach top-quality candidates faster. Our technology is explicitly designed with the recruitment industry in mind, ensuring onboarding processes are as efficient and effective as possible. Schedule a consultation call with us today!
