The new employee often makes their way through an organized series of events. Known as an onboarding process, these steps usually occur during a specific period.
Many organizations use onboarding examples to help get employees through these processes. What are the benefits of such? For one thing, an organized onboarding process lowers the time it takes to hire employees.
It also helps take down many barriers new hires might have. It familiarizes new hires with their new positions, establishes relationships with people they will spend their day working with, and more.
Learn more about the best onboarding examples.
Compelling Onboarding Examples from Successful Companies
Onboarding is the process of orienting and assimilating new employees into an organization. It’s an essential process for employers because it can help reduce turnover and increase productivity. The goal of onboarding is to help new employees feel comfortable and supported as they transition into their new roles.
There are several different onboarding approaches that employers can take. Some employers choose to onboard all new employees at once, while others prefer to onboard employees individually. Some employers even offer online onboarding programs.
To that end, we compiled a list of the best onboarding examples from employers worldwide. From an immersive experience at Google to a 90-day onboarding program at LinkedIn, these companies are setting the standard for how to welcome and onboard new hires.
The following are eleven of the best onboarding examples taken straight from employers.
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Google
Google is one of the world’s most popular employers. It’s no surprise that their onboarding process is exemplary.
To make their new hires feel at home at once, Google already assigns them a call name. They call them Nooglers.
Nooglers are given a week-long orientation to acclimate them to the company culture and values. An orientation program includes senior leaders’ presentations, workshops, and recreation activities.
Additionally, each Noogler is paired with a “buddy” who helps them navigate their first few weeks on the job. Google is also not selfish with its resources and knowledge as they share these with the Nooglers simultaneously.
Those Nooglers who entered Google as software engineers are also given projects that serve as a practice for their future projects. However, Google ensures that these starter projects are not that exhausting yet but will help the Nooglers prepare for their jobs.
Google also offers new hires a $500 stipend to help set up their work environment. Nooglers are also given a tour of the office and introduced to their fellow employees.
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Apple
Apple’s onboarding process is an excellent example of making new employees feel welcome and comfortable. From the moment they step through the door, new hires are given a detailed overview of their first few days.
Moreover, their onboarding experience immerses new hires in the company culture and gets them up to speed on Apple’s products and services. They’re given a personal coach who will help them adjust to their new role and answer any questions they have along the way.
At Apple, they provide a welcome package, a personalized email address, and access to Apple resources. New employees are given an iPhone and a MacBook to help them feel comfortable using the company’s products.
Because of the pandemic, remote work is encouraged to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In this case, Apple had to rethink how they would welcome their new employees. They developed technology, software, and applications that will enable them to connect with their new employees remotely.
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Facebook
Facebook’s onboarding process is similar to Google’s. It strives to help new employees feel part of the team from the beginning. Their six-week-long Bootcamp enables their newly hired employees to have a tour of the office.
The new employees also get the chance to meet with different teams and learn about their roles within the company to their fellow employees. They’re given a complete overview of the company’s policies and procedures. Facebook’s onboarding program ensures that new hires are adequately trained on the company’s culture.
Facebook also train its new employees by giving them tasks in their onboarding program. They have what they call the “45-minute rule” wherein duties are assigned to the new employees, and they must accomplish them within 45 minutes to test their skills.
Moreover, one of the highlights of Facebook’s employee onboarding is the new hires’ welcome package. This package includes a company t-shirt, smartphone, laptop, backpack, and other goodies.
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LinkedIn
An excellent first impression makes LinkedIn one of the best onboarding examples.
In LinkedIn, the company provides 90-days for their new hires to get used to their work. Within these 90-days, LinkedIn gives each new employee a “coach” to help them navigate the company culture and grow their network. LinkedIn also provides an interactive cheat sheet to introduce the company to its new employees.
Employees are also given a tour of the office. Their benefits are also discussed with them on day 1. LinkedIn also gives their employees a laptop as a welcome gift.
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Netflix
From the beginning, Netflix expected new hires to join a team of passionate people committed to their work. They also provide a clear overview of the company’s culture and values.
Throughout the onboarding process, new hires are given opportunities to meet other employees and get to know the company culture. Netflix also does a great job of orienting new hires to the company’s processes.
One of the best practices of Netflix when it comes to the career advancement of their new employees is to introduce them to the concepts of cultural diversity and inclusiveness. Netflix assures that its employees are respectful of the differences of every employee they have.
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Walmart
Walmart’s onboarding program is designed to help new employees feel welcome and prepared for their first day on the job. New employees are given a tour of the store and are introduced to their fellow employees. They are also given a job shadowing experience to learn about the company and the job they will be performing.
In Walmart, a manager will be assigned to new hires to guide them throughout the onboarding process. There are also programs planned for four months to help employees familiarize themselves with their jobs.
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Amazon
At Amazon, new employees are given a tour of the facility and are introduced to their team. Amazon’s onboarding program focuses on helping new hires understand the company’s customer-centric culture and familiarize them with its products and services.
If other companies assign mentors to their new employees, it’s inherent in Amazon as they focus on the individual’s capability to know their way to the company; Amazon leaves them be. Amazon provides the checklists and materials to their new employees as a guide on what they must do to settle down.
Aside from these, Amazon also focuses on being specific about what they want from their employees. Whether it’s their behaviors or skills, Amazon depends on what their employees must possess in a particular job. This is evident in their onboarding checklist, surveys, quizzes, and training.
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Twitter
Twitter’s employee onboarding program is famously called “Yes to Desk.” This program encourages employees to say yes to the tasks given until they are settled.
Twitter also provides new hires with an “onboarding buddy” who helps them learn the ropes and make connections. They also give their new hires personalized email addresses, t-shirts, and wine.
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Square
Square encourages a more personal approach to make its employees feel welcomed.
Square has three phases of its onboarding program. The first phase starts with introducing what the company is all about. The second phase focuses on meeting their co-employees and discussing their roles. The last stage centers on the individual and what is expected of them.
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Quora
Once hired, Quora provides new employees with a mentor to guide them in their onboarding journey. What’s important here is that the mentors can also be held accountable if they fail to do their best to help their mentees.
Quora also gives their new employees projects to work on as early as their second week of being employed. This enables their new hires to get hold of what they are about to do and, at the same time, be productive.
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Zapier
In Zapier, new employees are teamed and assigned a “Zap pal” who will guide them.
Zapier also has software that helps in the onboarding process of their new employees. This saves time for both the employees and the mentors because they can access it anytime. Moreover, it allows the employees to learn at their own pace.
And ever since the pandemic, venturing into remote onboarding programs through software and online applications has been a good choice.
Designing an Effective Onboarding Program
Based on the onboarding examples of the eleven companies, here’s a list of what makes a good onboarding program.
Make sure your employees feel like they are a part of the team from day one by setting the tone for what it means to be a part of your company. Encourage them to socialize with one another to loosen up.
Define what success looks like within the first 30 and 90 days so that employees know what they are working towards.
Give employees a specific person to go to with questions throughout the onboarding process to feel supported. This can be done by assigning them a “buddy” or ” “mentor.”
Utilize technology to your advantage by providing employees with an online portal that contains all the information they need to know about your company. Having software or applications they can access online is also preferable, especially since remote work has been considered ever since the pandemic.
Ensure employees have an opportunity to meet their team and understand their role within the company to feel like they are part of something larger. Encourage employees to ask questions and give them the space to do so without feeling like they are being judged.
Offer opportunities for employees to provide feedback so you can continue improving the onboarding process. Also, include a seminar wherein they will learn how to work with people that have a different culture from theirs.
Help employees understand the company culture and what it means to be a part of it so they can feel like they belong. Give employees the chance to meet the leadership team and understand the company’s vision.
Give employees gadgets that would help them jumpstart their tasks. These can be in the form of laptops, desktops, or smartphones.
Have opportunities like small projects where they can test their skills. This can also be in the form of training for their specific job roles.
Ensuring a good onboarding process can help your company retain good employees. So, if you are interested in how to make your onboarding process much safer, check out https://workbright.com/workbright.com/i-9-penalties/.
Best Practices for Onboarding New Employees
There are several great onboarding examples that employers can take inspiration from. By taking the time to invest in onboarding, employers can improve employee retention rates and performance.
Utilizing an effective onboarding program can help new employees feel welcomed and comfortable in their position within the company. New employees can hit the ground running and become productive team members by providing a structured introduction to the company culture and expectations.
A well-run onboarding program can make a big difference in an employee’s experience with a company and their likelihood of success.
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