Successful onboarding is not just about the first day - it affects the satisfaction, performance and loyalty of new colleagues. Yet, mistakes are still made that can unnecessarily complicate onboarding and newcomer adaptation. Denisa Bělská, a recruiter and consultant who has seen onboarding processes set up correctly and those that failed unnecessarily during her career, will share her practical experience in HR.
The adaptation of a new employee can be either smooth and natural or full of unnecessary complications. What is the key to success? Denisa Bělská will share with you best practices that help newcomers get on board quickly and feel part of the team from day one. Why is it important to be 100% available, listen to their expectations and involve the hiring manager in the process? And how can a simple smile break down barriers? Learn all this and more in her perspective on onboarding, which not only works, delivers great feedback, and creates the best conditions for a positive onboarding experience.
Denisa Bělská is an experienced professional who has combined her knowledge of HR with her passion for business. After a successful career in internal recruitment on a global level, she decided to use her experience on a broader scale and help companies with the digitalization of HR processes. Today, she works as a consultant focused on optimizing recruitment strategies and implementing modern technologies. Her goal is to bring innovative solutions that simplify recruitment, increase the efficiency of HR teams and help companies grow through properly set processes.
Lack of pre-onboarding: communicate with the newcomer regularly even before joining
Arrange to start in three months and then leave the newcomer in silence? This is a common mistake that can lead to uncertainty and stress. Regular communication before the first day is essential to create a positive relationship and easy adaptation.
It is important to keep the newcomer informed about how his first day will go, what to expect and that you are counting on him. Be empathetic and supportive if they share your concerns about the transition to a new company.
,,If possible, arrange an informal meeting with the team before you start - for example, for coffee or a team activity. This way, the newcomer will get to know his colleagues in a natural environment and his first day will be less stressful."
Missing schedule of the first day
The first day at a new job is stressful, especially if the newcomer doesn't know what to expect. When and where to arrive? Who will he meet? How long will everything take? Uncertainty about these questions can unnecessarily increase nervousness and slow down adaptation. The solution is simple - send the newcomer a clear plan in advance. This should include information about the training sessions, the schedule of meetings, the length of each activity, and contacts for key people to contact.
For a full remote position, it is important to include regular online meetings with the team during the first week. This will allow the newcomer to naturally get involved and not feel isolated.
Getting to know your colleagues, one lap around the company on the first day is not enough!
In many companies, a newcomer's first day is spent making the rounds of the offices, saying hello to a few people and that's the end of it. But what if half the team is working from home, sick or on vacation? Such "introductions" easily sink in and the newcomer can still feel like a stranger.
Therefore, it is important to think strategically about this process. A company tour makes sense, but only on the first day. However, truly engaging with the team requires additional steps. One effective solution is to send everyone an organizational announcement on the day they start, introducing the new colleague - ideally with a photo and information about their hobbies. However, be sure to check his/her consent beforehand and agree the whole announcement with him/her.
Familiarity with the company culture and team practices
Each company and team has its own specifics that affect the way we work and communicate. A newcomer should understand from day one not only his/her work tasks, but also how the team works and how to work together. If they don't get this information in time, they may feel lost and take longer to naturally engage.
That's why it's important to explain at the beginning what a normal working day looks like - when to go to lunch, what communication tools are used(Slack, Teams, email, WhatsApp), what it's like with a home office (see the article on how to implement hybrid working models) or regular team meetings and benefits. In addition , share company values, rituals and unwritten rules. How you handle informal meetings, whether you have team breakfasts or if it's common to have a drink after work.
Don't be afraid to give a newcomer homework from day one
The first days in a new job are crucial for a smooth start. Often, however, a newcomer simply observes what is going on around him, has no specific tasks and remains in a passive role. This can lead to uncertainty, slower integration into the team, and a longer time to be fully productive.
That's why it's important to actively involve your new colleague from day one. The best way to do this is to prepare specific tasks for them on the first day, such as orientation in internal systems or smaller tasks related to their role. Automating the onboarding processes is also a great advantage, allowing the use of templates for different roles and linking them to notifications. Thanks to this, the newcomer and colleagues in the company know exactly what to do and when.
"The set tasks also allow HR and managers to digitally monitor the progress of the new employee and provide timely feedback. Structured onboarding ensures that the newcomer is not just a passive observer, but an active member of the team from day one," adds Denisa.
Regular feedback and its frequency
The first week flies by and the newcomer suddenly doesn't know where he stands, if he is meeting expectations or if he is on the right track. Uncertainty in the beginning can slow down his adaptation and affect his confidence in his new role. That's why it's important to set up regular feedback meetings in the first week, such as the tried and tested 30-60-90 day model. To ensure they are not forgotten, it is a good idea to add them to the calendar straight away. This will ensure that everyone prepares for the meetings on time and they are not sidelined.
In addition to these checkpoints, it's great to introduce weekly 1:1 meetings between the newcomer and the hiring manager. These help to monitor progress, share feedback and address any confusion in a timely manner. These meetings should be a priority - cancelling or postponing them can send the wrong message to the new hire about their importance on the team.
Onboarding is an often underestimated process, yet it plays a key role in how quickly and well a new employee integrates into the company. We often hear that "they learn everything as they go" - but the reality is different. If onboarding is absent, unstructured or just a quick handover of a laptop and a lap around the offices, the newcomer can feel lost, unsure and demotivated.
If you want to take onboarding to the next level and save the cost of finding a new employee, focus on clear communication, regular check-ins and process automation to save you a lot of work. Onboarding is a process that doesn't end after the first week, and you need to invest time in it, assessing how the new colleague fits into the environment, and how their arrival has impacted their team's satisfaction and performance.
